Six Special Girls
by downbythebay
Summary: FINISHED Cameron and Fallon, the teachers' pets. Carmen, the lover. Katherine, the quiet one. Opal, the goodiegoodie. Ruby, the bad girl. What do they all have in common? Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. R&R! Even if you don't like it.
1. Prologue

Dear Reader,

I am delighted by the fact that you have taken an interest in my story, the first of a series. I want to hear ever comment you have so please review, but avoid criticism, without explaining to me how I can make this story better. I admit I do write for my own enjoyment, but if you like it then it's ten times better.

Respectfully submitted,

_KT_

** Chapter One:  
Meeting the Girls**  
  
_ Part One:  
Cameron  
_  
Cameron sat at her desk working on her math exam when the teacher announced: "Three minutes!"  
  
She huffed in annoyance, realizing she had at least twelve problems left. This wouldn't be happening if she had just studied. She never had enough time to do everything she needed to do. Help her mother, help at the garage, eat, sleep, there weren't enough hours in the day.  
  
"I need more time," she sighed letting her head fall into her hands. She looked up and saw her teacher staring, fixed, at a stopped clock. That was weird enough, but she soon realized that none of her classmates were moving either. Some were stuck in strange positions, like the boy in the back row with a pencil up his nose. Everything was totally still.  
  
She got up and waved her hand in front of Mrs. Barns's face. She didn't react. So, wanting to try her luck, she poked her hard on the shoulder; nothing. A wry smile passed Cameron's lips. She didn't know what was going on, but she was going to milk this for all it was worth.  
  
She sat at the teacher's desk with the answer book and her test paper. As she filled in the last bubble and set the paper on the pile on the desk and walked back to her desk. She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair. With that the world came alive again, and no one was the wiser.  
  
The bell rang a moment later and the class filed out the door, not realizing fifteen minutes had gone by.  
  
_ Part Two:  
Katherine  
_  
For Katherine Rivers, at first, it seemed to be just another summer at Camp Saint Paul. It was just a place her parents dumped her every year to get her out of their hair, but she had grown to love every minute of it. Her only friends were here, her real family.  
  
Katherine was standing on the edge of the pier ready to dive into the water. She was quite confident she could beat at least three of the other girls, water was her element. The camp lifeguard blew the whistle and all five girls dove into the water.  
  
Katherine went under and didn't come back up, not for the entire twenty- yard swim. She didn't feel a need for air anymore; she was content under the water. She skimmed the bottom, looking at the shells. She forgot the race and began to explore. It was a rush of power and excitement. She loved it, she needed it.  
  
When Katherine made it back to shore everyone was headed for the showers. She came up out of the water and found she couldn't breathe, and that she was covered in red scales. As the sun dried her face she could breathe again. Soon the scales disappeared. She decided to skip the shower and walked up the lawn to the mess hall.  
  
_ Part Three:  
Fallon_  
  
Fallon sat in the passenger's seat of her stepfather's truck as the rain poured down in the night sky. They had just come from the racetrack, and as usual, he was drunk as anything. He was a construction worker and liked being able to gamble on her mother's dime. He reached over and grabbed her behind the neck.  
  
"You're going to make me a very rich man," he said. She pulled away. He took her to the racetrack everyday after school to pick the winning horses. She had never picked a loser, she wasn't sure how she knew winning lottery numbers and that a horse with 45 to 1 odds could win three straight races.  
  
They ran straight through a red light. Suddenly an odd scene flashed across her mind:  
_A man stumbling drunk through a run down old house, she reconized it as the old Smith Bungalow in the developement where she lived. He was climbing to the second floor. She took in a pained breath as a sense of understanding hit her. His tool kit was upstairs, he kept his gun in his tool kit. He was screaming: "Ellen you btch!" Falling back against the railing that wouldn't support his weight. He fell fourteen feet, breaking his neck upon landing.  
_  
Her eyes opened wide in pain. Ellen was her mother, the man had been her step-father.  
  
_ Part Four:  
Ruby  
_  
Ruby walked up to the gas station convenience store and put her hand on the doorknob. It was all closed up. She felt the metal heat in her grip and the solvent chemicals dripping from her pores slowly melted it. With the lock liquefied the door pushed open and her body began to turn to dense liquid and cave in under her, sloshing to a puddle.  
  
Moving in her chemical form was just a matter of will and changing back was just as easy. She just had to wish herself back into her human shape and she took it.  
  
She was concentrating on burning through the cash box as she thought about the first time she ever used her power.  
  
It was three years ago, she had been fourteen. It was the night of the end of the year dance. She was in the bathroom hiding from her ex-boyfriend who had broken up with her on the phone the night before leaving her dateless.  
  
She wanted him to pay so bad it made her whole body tremble. Suddenly, all at once, her body sloshed to the floor in a puddle of a florescent purple substance. Moving out to the dance floor was easy enough. She slipped under Clint Smith's feet and sent him down to his butt.  
  
The football star burst into tears and every one laughed.  
  
Sweet revenge, she thought as she made her way out of the convenience store with stolen cash, cigarettes, and candy.  
  
_ Part Five:  
Carmen  
_  
Carmen opened the door to the science lab. It was dark as she crept in noiselessly and opened the professor's desk drawer. She pulled out his portfolio and filed through it for the answers to this week's final. Finding what she was looking for she went to go to the copy machine when she heard footsteps coming. She closed her eyes and held her breath as the door opened.  
  
"Is someone there," called the teacher from the door. He entered the room looking around in confusion. He made his way to the desk and shut the open compartment. With that he left. Carmen opened her eyes in surprise to find she couldn't see herself. She nearly screamed but slowly her hand materialized in front of her face. She copied the test and slipped out of the room.  
  
_ Part Six:  
Opal  
_  
Opal was practicing her karate in her back yard. She went into a crane kick and as she hopped she floated up into the branches of a large tree. She got stuck there and began to yell in terror.  
  
Help," she pleaded. "Someone help!" She clung to the branch of the tree as she watched the neighbor's lawn chairs float off into space. "Get me down!"  
  
Like that the string pulling her up broke its hold and let her settle on the branch, which started to crack. She screamed as it gave way and sent her to the ground.  
  
"Ouch," she moaned, luckily she wasn't as far up as the White's furniture, which hadn't faired too well on the way back to the ground.


	2. Scott Meets Fallon

** Chapter Two:  
  
Scott Meets Fallon**  
  
Scott pulled up to the bus stop in his white Mazda RX-7. (The author wonders vaguely: _'How was he ever able to afford so many goddam cars?'_) He pulled up to the curb and his eyes immediately feel on a young girl sitting on a bench with an old army rucksack. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her head was down. All he could see was her very long copper hair.  
  
He walked casually to the bench and sat down. She didn't react to him, but after a moment she realized he wasn't going anywhere any time soon she moved over a little.  
  
"Hi," he started softly. "My name's Scott. What's yours?" She didn't reply at first, but lifted her head to look at him.  
  
_'No wonder the poor kid's running away,'_ he thought to himself noting the faint bruises under her right eye and the left side of her face.  
  
"Fallon," she said simply. _'Bingo,'_ he thought to himself. She might have been beautiful, if it weren't for the bruises and haggard expression on her face.  
  
She had long copper hair and deep-set, pale blue eyes; she had a peaches-and-cream complexion, and a sturdy build.  
  
"My step-dad hit me," she said in reply to his thoughts.  
  
"What happened to him," Scott pressed.  
  
"My mother didn't like that he beat me. She kicked him out. He didn't take it very well. He's dead," she said. "I killed him." She looked at him as if that was a warning; a threat.  
  
"No you didn't," he said without thinking, recalling Professor Xavier's story. She glared at him.  
  
"Yes I did!" She nearly yelled and began to sob, "I wanted him dead." She took a deep breath and wiped the tears away. "At first I thought it was just a stupid little thought, but I wanted him to suffer for what he put me through. I saw the whole thing, I knew what was going to happen, and I didn't even try to stop it. I didn't care. He was right, I'm a monster."  
  
"That's not true," Scott continued as he reached over and pulled her into a hug. "It's not your fault, it's not your fault."  
  
"You haven't learned to control your power yet. You haven't learned to distinguish your thoughts from your visions," Scott started. "What if I told you I could take you somewhere you would learn to do just that? No one would be afraid of you."  
  
She thought a minute looking at his visor. Scott knew sending him to find psychic girl was a bad idea. She couldn't see his eyes, and that gave her reason not to trust him.  
  
"We'll call your mother, you can try us out...I'll get you a milk shake," he offered. She smiled at length and he smiled back  
  
"I'd have to say I'm in, if only for the milk shake," She answered getting up. She was about five foot four inches tall. He got up too and she stuck out a hand, he took it and she shook his arm hard. "Let's go!"  
  
He led her out to the appropriate two-seater and opened the passenger's side door for her and then got in himself. Putting the keys in the ignition he wondered how Jean and Ororo were doing. 


	3. Storm's Charge

** Chapter Three:  
  
Storm's Charge**  
  
Meanwhile on the opposite side of the country, Storm and Jean were hunting down their wards in San Jose California.  
  
Storm had been directed to a local roller rink. There was a young woman on her way to the food court. She had shoulder length light brown hair and brown eyes. Her deep tan complexion identified her as Native American. She was the subject of the photo Professor Xavier had shown Storm earlier that day. Storm made her way over to the table where the girl had taken a seat.  
  
She sat down at the booth and looked across the young girl trying to concentrate on her Moose Tracks ice cream. She looked up at the woman in confusion and fear.  
  
"Excuse me," Storm began gently. "Are you Carmen Turner?" The girl nodded.  
  
"Yes," she said warily. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"My name is Ororo Munroe," the older woman explained. "I was sent by Professor Charles Xavier, to offer you the opportunity to join his school for children with extraordinary abilities."  
  
Carmen looked around nervously and leaned over to Ororo.  
  
"How do you know about my powers," she lowered her voice to a whisper.  
  
"I'm not sure this is the right time to explain that issue," Storm said. "But if you would come back to the school with me, if for just a brief visit, I'm sure Professor Xavier would be more than happy to explain everything. It is, of course, only an option. I won't force you to do anything, but I think it would be in your best interest to learn to harness your powers. Why, what if you were to blink out one day and not be able to rematerialize?"  
  
The girl looked frightened as ever as her plastic spoon fell to the floor.  
  
"Alright," Carmen agreed, and then added. "Where is this school anyway?"  
  
"That's the only problem," Storm admitted. "How are you with planes?" 


	4. Afraid of Heights

Chapter Four:  
  
Afraid of Heights  
  
Jean knocked on the door to the one-story blue house. The lawn was over run with weeds and needed to be mowed and there were rusty lawn chairs sitting on the concrete ramp to the door.  
  
A man in a blue work shirt opened the door. Jean cleared her throat and opened her mouth.  
  
"Excuse me," she said. "Is this the Jordan residence?"  
  
"Yea," the man answered.  
  
"Is Opal home," she asked. "I'd like to speak with her."  
  
"Yea," the man repeated. "Opal!! Get out here!" A young woman entered the living room. She had dirty blond hair that fell past her shoulders and she had blue-green eyes. "I'm going out." The man continued and pushed past Jean. The girl looked at her in uncertainty.  
  
"Hi," Jean said with a pleasant smile. "I'm Doctor Jean Grey. May I come in?"  
  
"Yea sure," the girl said and pushed the door open for her.  
  
The house smelled of cigar smoke. The walls were stained gray and it seemed an all around filthy place and, being a doctor, Jean was used to things being white and clean, and she couldn't help but cringe.  
  
"Is your mother home," Jean asked. The girl shook her head. "Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know," Opal replied. "Probably out protesting something. She'd like a professional hippie or something." The remark was funny but Jean couldn't laugh, and Opal hadn't wanted her too.  
  
The young woman held on to things as she moved across the room. It made her movement choppy and unnatural. It was as if she were afraid of floating off into space, which, Jean reminded herself, she probably was.  
  
"Do you want to sit down," Opal asked politely. Jean sat on an old chair and felt it groan under her weight.  
  
"Listen," Jean said. "I was sent by a Professor Charles Xavier. He wants you to come study at his school for mutants in Westchester, New York."  
  
The girl that sat across from Jean looked surprised. "I don't want to lean about my powers," she began. "I want them to go away."  
  
"I don't think that's possible," Jean explained. "But you'd be safe at the school. Some mutants are proud of their gifts, you know."  
  
"It's not that I don't want to be a mutant," the girl said quietly. "It's just. I'm afraid of heights." Jean let her head fall into her hands with a sigh. This was soooo not worth it.  
  
"How did I qualify for this," she asked, changing the subject.  
  
"The Professor enrolls students who have the highest possibilities of manifestation of the mutant gene," Dr. Grey explains. "And that includes you."  
  
"It sounds nice," she said. "I'd like to go, but if I told my dad I needed tuition to go to a school for mutants, he's totally flip out."  
  
"There's no cost," Jean explained. "Think of it as a scholarship."  
  
"Even still-" the girl continued.  
  
"Listen," Jean explained. "If you don't learn to control your powers you'll become a danger to yourself and others. You have a great gift; you need to learn to use it properly. And for a girl who's ability is to defy gravity it is very important that you lean to manage your benediction."  
  
The girl bit her lip and drummed her fingers on the table. Pictures began to float off the coffee table. Jean managed to set them back down with her powers. Finally the girl sighed and nodded.  
  
"I'll get packing." 


	5. Scott Faces Cameron's Mom

Chapter Four:  
  
Scott Faces Cameron's Mom  
  
Scott managed to get Fallon back to the school safe and sound and after a brief rest her was hightailing it to Boston, Massachusetts. It was around ten when he pulled up in front of a nice little house.  
  
He walked up to the door and rang the bell. Moments later the door was opened by a woman in an apron.  
  
"Hello," she said.  
  
"Hi my name's Scott Summers," he began. "May I come in?"  
  
"Of course," she offered opening the door. "What is it that you wanted Mr. Summers?"  
  
"Is your daughter home," he asked entering the hallway. "I really need to speak to both of you."  
  
She was suddenly looking at him like a cow looks at an oncoming train.  
  
"What do you want with my daughter," she demanded.  
  
"I was sent to ask if she if she was interested in attending Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester, New York," Scott explained as she backed him into the laundry room, and ultimately the garage.  
  
"My daughter is not going anywhere," she yelled slamming the garage door and licking him in.  
  
Scott sat in disbelief, wondering if he shouldn't just blast the damn garage door of it's friggin' track. Presently he heard the mechanical groan of the garage door opening. He looked up to see a short thin young woman with olive skin and bobbed dark brown hair coming to his rescue.  
  
"Hey," she said casually with a small wave.  
  
"Are you Cameron Elva," Scott asked.  
  
"The one and only, last time I checked," she said.  
  
"I'm Scott," he began. ''Scott Summers."  
  
"Well Scott Summers," She said. "You can go anytime you feel like it. I'm sorry my mom went off on you, she's been really protective, since my dad died."  
  
"I don't want to press," he said. "But what happened to him?"  
  
"He worked for the military. He was killed in a combat training mission," she said. "But he left me his hummer, I'll be able to drive it, if I can figure out how to fix it."  
  
"Mind if I take a look," he asked. "I know a thing or two about fixing cars."  
  
"Not at all," she said binging out an old, rusty took kit. Scott opened the hood and examined the engine.  
  
"Problem's simple enough," he said. "You want to had me a wrench." He put out a hand. She handed him a wrench.  
  
"You and I have some things in common," he said, still working. "My father was killed while he served in the Air Force, but my mother committed suicide shortly after. I always wondered why my brother and I weren't enough to give her reason to live. Your mother loves you and there's nothing embarrassing about that."  
  
*Wow,* Cameron thought. *This guy is totally pouring out all his troubles to me and I don't even know him. I wonder what the catch is?*  
  
"You see," Scott continued to work and talk. "I was sent by Professor Charles Xavier. He hoped you would consider attending his school for mutants starting next trimester. It's a boarding school, but you and five other girls, all within twelve months of your own age, are the only ones currently being offered this opportunity."  
  
"You sure know how to make a girl feel special," she said watching him intently. "Is that your power?"  
  
He looked up as his eyes narrowed under his ruby quartz sunglasses.  
  
"No actually," he said. "My eyes emit beams with force enough to punch through almost anything, except my own flesh. Xavier dubbed them my optic blasts."  
  
"Makes sense," she commented.  
  
"I can't control them, though," he continued. "Which is why I wear these glasses. My other visor has a control that allows me to manipulate the beams, and if I don't say so myself: I rock the Princess Lea ear- piece."  
  
She laughed, he smiled.  
  
"I'm done," he said.  
  
"You're kidding," she said grabbing the key and hopping in the driver's seat. She stuck the key in the ignition and turned it. The car started. "Dude! You brought my car back from the dead!"  
  
Again Scott laughed. He couldn't ever remember making a girl this happy before, especially over a car.  
  
"That is it," she said with a sarcastic smile. "I'm marrying you."  
  
"Already taken," Scott said with a shrug.  
  
"So tell me more about this school," she asked. Scott took the passengers seat and explained everything he was at freedom to say, and even included a little about the Liberty Island incident. That caught her interest.  
  
Later Scott had to repeat the whole story for her mother. So Cameron packed and they were on their way to Westchester. Cameron followed Scott in her hand-me-down-Hummer. 


	6. Devil's Daughter

Chapter Five:  
  
Devil's Daughter  
  
Ruby made her way down the dark alley in the rain looking around warily. She knew they'd be here; they were always here, waiting for her. Sure enough she turned the corner and found herself faced with Carson Millhone and his cronies.  
  
"Look who's back," he chorused upon noticing her. "It's Rubeeee!"  
  
"Oh go screw yourself," Ruby snapped trying to push past.  
  
"Oh that isn't very lady like," he continued getting in her way.  
  
"Get out of my way," she yelled.  
  
"Make me," he said pushing her into another guy. She was acting on instincts now, moving by muscle memory.  
  
She elbowed crony number on in the gut and kicked crony number two, to her right, in the chest. She broke number three's nose with a solid upward thrust with the ball of her hand.  
  
She bounced her weight from her right foot to left then right then left again before swinging her left leg in an arch. Her foot connected with the side of Carson's face, and she continued in a circular motion, bending down and brushing the ground with her fingertips as her left leg came up and delivered another blow to his body.  
  
She was up in time to see him fly into a few trashcans. She smiled in satisfaction  
  
"Pretty nice karate,'' said a gentle female voice from behind her. She spun around to face a woman with bright sapphire eyes and ebony skin, in stark contrast to her long silver hair.  
  
"That was ballet," she said warily. "It's called a fan kick."  
  
Storm studied the girl. Poised ready to attack. She had long light brown hair and brown eyes. She was a little on the short side, her features plain, she wasn't very muscular but still looked strong. She had grown up with violence and didn't try to hide it. She didn't trust any one.  
  
"Don't worry," Storm continued. "I'm a friend. My name is Ororo Munroe, also called Storm. I was sent to find you by Professor Charles Xavier. He founded a school for mutants, like you and me."  
  
"Yea," Ruby pressed. "And that concerns me how?"  
  
"He wants to offer you the opportunity to enroll in his school," Storm continued to learn about your powers and how to use them morally." She stressed the word morally.  
  
"Is this a threat," Ruby asked. "Because I-"  
  
"No," said Ororo. "Not at all." Ruby thought a minute.  
  
"You know about my power," Ruby said. "What's yours?" Storm smiled in response as her eyes faded to white and the sun shone through as the rain stopped and clouds ebbed.  
  
Ruby shrugged.  
  
"What have I got to lose," she said. Storm smiled and motioned for Ruby to follow her. 


	7. Lying to my Parents

Chapter Six:  
  
Lying to my Parents  
  
Jean entered the community pool and was greeted with the nauseating smell of chlorine. She made her way down the hall and through the glass doors to the pool area. In the third lane she noticed a red flash going by under the water. Maybe it was a girl with a bad case of sunburn, or maybe it was Katherine Rivers.  
  
The girl got out of the water and quickly wrapped a towel around herself. She walked into the showers and Jean swiftly followed.  
  
She began looking under the shower curtains until she found a pair of webbed, red feet.  
  
Jean moved the curtain aside to find a young girl wearing a green and black swim suite. She had her long blond hair pulled back.  
  
Her skin was a insipid red color, detailed with bold red scales.  
  
The girl grabbed her towel and tried in vain to conceal the discoloration of her skin.  
  
"Don't worry," Jean assured the girl. "I'm here to help you."  
  
"I can't breathe," the girl said. Her voice was low and boorish.  
  
Jean turned off the water and took the girls towel and dried her neck with it. The scales disappeared and her skin returned to normal.  
  
"I'm Jean Grey," Jean explained. "I'm a mutant too. I was sent to find you by Professor Charles Xavier, he runs a school where people like us can learn about our powers and be safe. He wants you to enroll for this trimester. Can I talk to your parents?"  
  
"No," the girl said, her voice now smoother and more natural. "You see, my parents don't know I have these powers. I was afraid they'd want to study me or something."  
  
Jean sighed. *Another Bobby Drake,* she thought. *That's all we need.*  
  
"Then will you come to New York with me to meet Professor Xavier, tell your parents it's an exclusive college prep school."  
  
The girl nodded as they walked. Jean shook her head, Xavier was diffidently biting off more than he could chew with these girls. 


	8. Detention

Chapter Seven:  
  
Detention  
  
As it turns out, Jeans suspicions of the six new girls were not entirely ill founded. It wasn't two days later when Scott's blue Camero was smashed into a tree. Apparently Ruby Marx and Carmen Turner, who were room mates at this point in time, had "borrowed" the car with out asking, knowing the generous fellow Scott was, and Bobby Drake evidently used his power to make the tree jump in front of the car, causing the collision. As if anyone believed that. (Bobby's power was, after all, to freeze things, not move inanimate objects that a rooted into the ground.)  
  
That same day Cameron Elva had tried to cheat on a test by freezing the class, but was unable to do that successfully. While her roommate, Fallon Vassar, lay weeping on the floor of Professor Xavier's office screaming that everyone was going to die, only to be found laughing hysterically moments later proclaiming in thought how gullible everyone was.  
  
Katherine Rivers cut class and hid in the lake, giving all the teachers a heart attack, and Opal Jordan had gotten in a fight with the resident browbeater.  
  
The Friday after noon of that week, Scott found himself outside a classroom labeled: Detention, dreading entering and what awaited him inside. He took a deep breath, finding his chi, as Jean had told him to do under stressful situations, and opened the door.  
  
Six girls sat in the class as Scott entered. He sat down at the desk and surveyed the room:  
  
Cameron Elva: Check. Nose buried in the book he had assigned his Above Level class.  
  
Opal Jordan: Check. Looking at the clock in anticipation. *Sorry Opal, you don't get out for another three hours.*  
  
Ruby Marx: Check. Chewing cinnamon scented gum and rolling her eyes.  
  
Katherine Rivers: Check. Chugging a bottle of water.  
  
Carmen Turner: Check. Curling a strand of her blond highlights around her finger in a way that drove some of the boys out of their minds.  
  
Fallon Vassar: Check. Facing the window in her chair, left leg swung over the back of the chair. That girl was wearing a skirt! From the other side of the room her leotard was clearly visible.  
  
James Wheildon: No check. Still in therapy from what the twenty foot drop had done.  
  
Scott began to rifle through his papers as if something was missing. He cleared his throat.  
  
"I need to go get some papers," he explained. "Don't freeze, burn, or send anything in the room flying." He went to the door and turned. Begging, "please."  
  
With that he made one of the biggest mistakes of his life and left Ruby Marx, Opal Jordan, Cameron Elva, Fallon Vassar, and Katherine Rivers alone, in the same room.  
  
"So," Ruby began. "How'd ya'll wind up here? Me and Carmen got busted for hot-wiring Scooter boy's Camero and smashing it into a tree."  
  
"I tried to freeze time and cheat on a test," admitted Cameron. "But apparently Jean's immune to that kind of thing."  
  
"I cut class and hid in the lake,'' said Katherine.  
  
"I lied about predicting the apocalypse," Fallon said evenly.  
  
"Not bad," admitted Ruby, slightly impressed. "I like that."  
  
"I was framed for starting a fight," said Opal meekly.  
  
"Sure," Ruby mumbled.  
  
"With whom," asked Cameron.  
  
"Jamie Wheildon."  
  
"You're the one who put the enforcer out of commission," laughed Ruby. "Uncanny!" She snorted in laughter.  
  
After that the room sank into an uneasy silence.  
  
Katherine beat her hands and fists on the desk and Cameron began to tap her feet. Opal and Ruby whistled as Fallon supplied backup for Carmen's song:  
  
*Saw him dancing there by the record machine*  
  
*New he must have been about seventeen*  
  
*He was going strong*  
  
*Played my favorite song*  
  
*And I could tell it wouldn't be long until he was with me*  
  
*Yea me!*  
  
*And I could tell it wouldn't be long until he was with me*  
  
*Yea me!*  
  
*Singing.*  
  
Just then a student opened the door.  
  
"What are you doing in here," asked Jubilation Lee.  
  
"Throwing a party," said Ruby. "Bring your friends!"  
  
Moments later about ten students had joined them, the song had changed, and Ruby hopped up on a desk, dancing to the on going chaos.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Coming soon, Scott's Reaction to all this. 


	9. Big Trouble

Chapter Eight:  
  
Big Trouble  
  
It had been a good while before Scott returned to the detention hall. He dropped the papers in his arms and stared in absolute awe at the surreal scene unfolding before his eyes.  
  
Everyone was smiling, dancing, and singing. They were up on desks and chairs. Carmen, Ruby, and Fallon were leading one group around the room, conga style, as Katherine, Cameron, and Opal were teaching another group how to swing dance. They were laughing and chanting:  
  
*Oh the horse put his foot, put his foot on the ground.*  
  
*Oh the horse put his foot, put his foot on the ground.*  
  
*Oh the horse put his foot, put his foot on the ground.*  
  
*Ain't this a terrible song!*  
  
*Tenth verse, same as the first, ain't getting better, but it's gonna get worse.*  
  
It took Scott to realize what the girls had done, but as soon as he was able to form words he found the wits to bellow: "You turned detention into a social!!!"   
  
"We'll what's the point of being here if we can't do something productive," asked Fallon simply.  
  
""You don't get it," Scott yelled. "That is exactly the point of being here! That's why it's called DETENTION!!"  
  
"And your point is," asked Ruby, rather indifferent.  
  
Scott, by then, had taken the same crimson color as his optic blasts. Carmen decided to take the lead in the defensive argument.  
  
"Look man," she began. "We got bored, so what's wrong with inviting some people to join us?"  
  
"It's not like we killed anyone," said Opal.  
  
"Shhh, don't tell him about that," Fallon hissed sarcastically.  
  
"We were going to have a worst singer contest. You're welcome to join us," Carmen continued. "Although you're up against some pretty tough competition."  
  
Scott clenched his fists, fighting back language that would have put Logan to shame.  
  
"You-are-a-bunch-of-childish.children.girls-what ever," he yelled. "Everyone-out-NOW!"  
  
"You heard the man," Ruby said in response to this and proceeded to lead the whole group out, once again, in a conga style parade, of the classroom chanting that stupid horse song.  
  
Opal, who was the tail end of the line, mumbled loud enough for only Scott to hear: "At least we didn't burn freeze, or send anything in the room flying." 


	10. Scott takes a Beating

Chapter Ten:  
  
Scott Takes a Beating  
  
Ruby, Opal, Katherine, Fallon, Carmen and Cameron had been through almost a month of physical training before the X-Men decided to go one-on-one with each of the girls.  
  
Scott was the luckiest man alive! He was suiting up and getting ready to go into the Danger Room with Carmen. They were in an open field setting, to take it slow and easy at first.  
  
"You know there's something about an anatomically correct jump suit that really turns me on," Carmen said as they circled one another. "What about you, Cyclops?"  
  
Scott ignored the statement and decided to initiate the fight by throwing a punch that hit her in the gut. She reeled back in surprise, but seemed more startled then hurt.  
  
"That's not very gentlemanly," she rebuked.  
  
'I'm not taking it easy on you," Cyclops warned.  
  
"Then neither will I," she decided and kneed him in a place the author would rather not name. She was a little surprised to see him impervious.  
  
"I'm not your boyfriend, and this is not a date," he explained. "I was expecting that."  
  
"No matter," she told herself somersaulting down into a handstand. Her legs caught his neck and she pulled him down under her. He managed to react quick enough spinning his body around and forcing himself up, which set Carmen spinning into a back flip. She landed on her hand wrong and shrieked in pain.  
  
"You okay," Scott asked getting up and moving over to her. Unexpectedly, she rolled onto her back and swung her leg in an arch that sent him down on top of her, his face just a few inches from hers.  
  
"I am now," she said with a sly smile.  
  
"That's enough," he affirmed getting up.  
  
"Jean, you can send Fallon in," he said into his mic, to Jean in the control room.  
  
Carmen left and Fallon slipped in. The setting changed to an ancient Egyptian court hall. Fallon looked around in surprise.  
  
"I like this," she said. "Could you change it to a Panama beach or something? You know set up some lawn chairs and get martinis with the little umbrellas." He laughed and smiled.  
  
"You nervous," he asked. Fallon wasn't very athletic, but she could protect herself, and she had common sense enough to use what ability she had to her best advantage.  
  
"Are you," she questioned.  
  
"I shouldn't think so," he began.  
  
"Then let's begin," she urged. Scott started the fight immediately throwing a blow to her face. She dodged the first and second blow but caught the third in her mouth. Scott heard it crack.  
  
"Oh God sorry," he began. "You okay?" She put out a hand to stop him. She screwed her jaw, it cracked again.  
  
"It just does that sometimes," she explained. "I'm not hurt. Keep going." He let her establish the exchange of blows this time. She went to kick him, but he caught her foot, but in the process his ankle rolled and lost his footing, which sent them both down.  
  
Fallon some how reacted mid fall and got in a position where she had both her feet on his chest, with all his weight on her. She curled back and forced him off all at once. That sent him half way across the room and gave her barely enough time to spring to her feet.  
  
He saw a weak spot upon catching himself and decided to charge her, and prayed she'd execute the appropriate parry.  
  
She didn't do what he had wished she would have, but tried a revised rendition of it by bracing herself and ducking low in hopes to flipping him over her shoulder, but he jumped and grabbed her around the waist, turning before the fall so he came down on top of her. Pinning her face down on the ground.  
  
"Should have used the cross down," he said as she writhed to no avail.  
  
"That block is *wrong*," she insisted.  
  
"How so," he asked.  
  
"If I had went down into a straddle and forced you over that way, you'd be left on the offensive and I'd still have to get up before I could parry," she said. "And it's like you said in class: 'Don't use an action unless it helps you gain an advantage'."  
  
"Or lose a disadvantage," he continued. "Don't listen to the wisdom of half a proverb, learn from the whole maxim."  
  
"You even talk like a literature teacher," she warned bucking her head back hitting him in the nose. His hands went to the flow of blood and she slipped out from under him.  
  
He struggled up and she raised her hands in parley. He whipped the blood from his lip and she continued.  
  
"How was I to know you saw an advantage," she asked.  
  
"I would have had to in order to have attempted such a intrepid movement," he continued. "If I had a hand weapon, you can guess where that would be going."  
  
"Don't think about that part of me," she demanded.  
  
"Trust me," he said with a small laugh. "The cross down is the better parry."  
  
"How would you know unless you knew what I hoped to accomplish in my defense movement," she asked.  
  
"Because I saw that same stroke, from the same angle as you, to the same result," he explained.  
  
"You," she questioned. "But you always go by the rules."  
  
"Until I find it fit to write my own," he explained. "Take it from me, the cross down is the appropriate block."  
  
"If your fit to continue," she said raising her fists.  
  
"I'm fit," he said. And so the two combatants continued to hammer on one another. He would punch her, she would kick him and so on.  
  
It lasted about an hour more, neither one conceding an inch until Scott got his arm around her neck, her body held close to his. She kicked her leg up and hit him in the face he lurched back and she spun around and went to throw another cuff, but he caught her arm, twisted it, and brought her over his shoulder and down onto the ground.  
  
She started up, but his foot was immediately on her upper body, keeping her down.  
  
Her lip swollen, nose bleeding, she had a black eye, but she was going to win this.  
  
"Give it a rest," he said. "Before you get yourself killed."  
  
She grabbed his ankle and brought him down beside her and rolled on top of him.  
  
"I don't like to lose," she said.  
  
Scott only knew one person as stubborn as Fallon and it was scary how much they were alike sometimes.  
  
In one hard motion he tried to flip them both over, had he been heavier it might have worked, but as he came up she moved her weight to further up his trunk and they both came down with her knees on his elbows as she sat on his chest prohibiting his movement to thrashing his legs uselessly and breathing.  
  
"Game, set, match," she declared getting up and offering him a hand.  
  
Scott liked Fallon but he detested losing, especially to his own students. He pulled her down and sprung up.  
  
"Keep your ass down," he said brushing the blood off his lip.  
  
"Son of a bitch," she began under her breath, but he was already gone.  
  
***  
  
Scott got a short break before going up against one of his additional better students, Cameron Elva.  
  
She had a lot of trouble moving with out thinking which left her weak. She acted too slow taking too much time thinking of which block she was supposed to use. Finally Cyclops stopped.  
  
"Hit me," he commanded. She got closer to him cautiously and threw a well- planned chop at his neck. He reacted instantaneously and went to flip her, but she grabbed on to him and wound up on him pig-a-back method.  
  
"What the-" he began before collapsing under her hundred odd pounds. "Well at least she acted on impulse." 


	11. Trip to the Museum

Chapter Nine:  
  
Trip to the Museum  
  
"The early race of man known as Neanderthal was thought to have died out and been replaced with the more advanced Cro-Magnon man," Storm's voice carried to the very back of her group. "It was later believed that the two humanoids interbred to generate modern humans."  
  
A boy in the very back wasn't paying much thought to Ororo. He looked to a little girl who was more intent on finishing her ice cream than paying attention to the exhibits. He smiled; she stuck her tongue out at him. He did the same to her, only his tongue was black and forked.  
  
"Artie," Ororo snapped. "Not here."  
  
"Why not," Artie asked. "Why should we have to hide? Why are we a threat to them?"  
  
"Because we're different," Ororo explained.  
  
"That's not a good reason," the boy said.  
  
"It never is," Ororo said. "Were the Japanese a real danger after the bombing on Pearl Harbor? The Irish were hated for allegedly lowering labor conditions. Am I a threat because I'm black?"  
  
Ruby Marx smacked her friend Carmen Turner lightly on the arm and jerked her head in a way that said: 'Let's ditch these kiddies and go find some action.' Carmen complied and slipped off with her friend as Ororo summed up her speech.  
  
Jean's group was gathered around a fossilized skeleton labeled: Saber- toothed Tiger.  
  
They were all talking about an incident a few months prior concerning a malevolent mutant called Sabretooth.  
  
Jean could feel the tension growing. She began hearing the voices of the people around her inside her head. Her hand went to her temple to massage away the beginnings of a migraine.  
  
Scott's set of students was not too far away watching a documentary on something along the lines of a naked mole rat.  
  
His troublesome twosome, Fallon Vassar and Cameron Elva, were discussing how silly it was that they had come to the Smithsonian to learn something they could have by just turning on the Discovery Channel. That was when the picture went fuzzy.  
  
The girls looked to Scott. Scott looked to Jean and walked to his fiancée.  
  
He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Jean." She looked to him. He looked concerned. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," she assured. "My telepathy has been off lately."  
  
"It's not just your telepathy," Scott said. He paused. "A month ago you had to concentrate to send a book across the room. Now when you have a nightmare the whole room shakes."  
  
"My nightmares are getting worse Scott," she explained. "I feel like something terrible is going to happen."  
  
Scott wrapped Jean in a tight embrace.  
  
"I would never let anything happed to you," he assured her.  
  
"Oh. . . isn't that just too sweet," chorused Ruby. What a way to spoil a moment. Scott cast her and her friends a harmless glare sort-of saying: 'Oh grow up.' Ruby smiled and shrugged as Scott began to look around.  
  
"Where are Bobby, Marie, and John," he asked.  
  
"Something's going on in the food court," Jean said thoughtfully.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~  
  
"Freezing to death is way worse than burning to death," Bobby said glaring at John who was flicking his lighter at regular intervals. Open, shut, open, shut.  
  
"Have you ever burned to death man," he retorted.  
  
"No," Bobby said. "But I know what happens when you freeze to death. First you start to shiver a little, your body is trying to stay warm."  
  
"Come on guys," Rogue said. This was so not the point of escaping to the food court.  
  
"Then the moisture in your lungs starts to freeze," Bobby continued. "So even breathing starts to hurt. By then you really start to shiver and your blood starts to crystallize."  
  
"Stop," Marie demanded. "This is painful." That's when she noticed the two boys at the next table looking at her. One of them smiled at her, she smiled back, and he got up. Uh oh. . . so she smiled at a guy, that wasn't an invitation to come over.  
  
"Hey," the boy said to her. "What's your name?"  
  
"None of your business," said Bobby.  
  
"I wasn't talking to you," he said.  
  
"Yea he wasn't talking to you," repeated his friend.  
  
Marie raised her eyebrows. "Rogue," she replied.  
  
"Well," said the young man. "I'm Blade, and he's Slash."  
  
"He man," Slash asked John. "Can I have a light?" John glared at him flicking his lighter. Open, close, open, close.  
  
"Sorry, can't help you," he said.  
  
"Stop showing off," snapped Bobby.  
  
"Hey it's not my fault your girlfriend is getting excited," said John. Slash grabbed the lighter out of John's hand. John stood up, but Blade got in his way.  
  
Slash lit his cigarette and blew the smoke in John's face. John almost laughed at his advantage.  
  
The flame expanded and the young man's sleeve caught fire. He thrashed about in a panic, only managing to fuel the flames, before Bobby leapt up and sent a frost to his arm killing the flame. That's when everything went still.  
  
"What did you do, Bobby," Marie asked in wonderment.  
  
"I didn't do this," Bobby assured her.  
  
"I did," replied a female voice. The three mutants turned to see Cameron, Carmen, Fallon, Katherine, Opal, and Ruby.  
  
"Now come on," Ruby pressed. "Let's get out of here, before someone catches us."  
  
"Too late," came the reply from the door. They all turned again: Professor X., Scott, Jean, and a group of students.  
  
"Oh, hi Mr. Summers," Cameron said with a smile.  
  
"You missed something," he said and jerked his thumb in the direction of the T.V.  
  
Cameron smacked her forehead. "Dammit."  
  
"Hey, for once, this had nothing to do with me," Ruby said. "Hey. Go figure."  
  
"Next time you feel like showing off," said Professor Xavier. "Don't."  
  
"The assassination attempt on the president was verified to be made by a mutant," said the newscaster on the unfrozen television screen. "More on this story at five."  
  
"I think we'd better get out of here," Scott said nervously.  
  
"I think you're right," said the professor. They all started to depart; as Carmen walked by Scott she gave him a light smack on the butt. He spun around, but she was already invisible.  
  
"I swear-" He began under his breath. 


	12. A New Look and Truth or Dare By request

Chapter Ten  
  
A New Look and Truth or Dare  
  
It was that Saturday afternoon as Scott sat in the infirmary with Jean.  
  
"Try these on," she said lifting a new visor to Scott's face. He opened his eyes; Jean smiled. "The controls are smaller and rest above your ears."  
  
Scott looked at his reflection.  
  
"Suave," he commented with a nod of approval. "Just in time for the knew spring line of mutant Eyewear." Jean laughed.  
  
Something about that laugh had changed since Liberty Island. He remembered the conversation he had with Logan on the first night of his arrival, what seemed like ages ago. The first night he could remember Jean climbing into bed and turning away from him.  
  
*"Come to tell me to stay away from your girl," Logan had asked with a wry smile ghosting his lips.  
  
"If I had to do that she wouldn't be my girl," he had been able to reply so casually. "She wouldn't be my girl."*  
  
The words echoed in his mind over and over again.  
  
"Stop," he hissed under his breath.  
  
"What was that," Jean asked looking up from behind a folder.  
  
"Nothing," he assured her. "Nothing at all." He kissed her cheek and went to go check on the students in the common room. Big mistake number two.  
  
***  
  
"Truth or dare," Ruby asked Bobby.  
  
"Dare," Bobby Drake replied.  
  
"I dare you," Ruby continued and trailed off into a low whisper.  
  
A red faced Bobby hopped up on the couch and cleared his throat.  
  
"Excuse me everyone," he began thankful that no teachers were in the room. "I just thought you all should know that I am gay and that I think John Allerdyce is a total hottie." He ended the statement with his imitation valley girl voice.  
  
A furious John glared up at him. He just winked getting down and was greeted by explosive laughter.  
  
"Okay," Bobby began under his breath. "Which one of you is going to get it? Fallon." He looked across the coffee table at the copper haired girl with blue eyes paler than his own. "Truth or dare?"  
  
"Truth I guess," she answered.  
  
"Who, at this school, do you have a crush on?"  
  
Fallon mumbled something into her hand.  
  
"Come on," Bobby pressed. More mumbling.  
  
***  
  
Scott surveyed the common room. No fires, no ice sculptures, no dead/dying children. Everything seemed okay. He started across the room to the kitchen.  
  
"Who do you have a crush on," bobby Asked Fallon.  
  
"I said SCOTT," she yelled and burst into laughter with everyone else.  
  
At this point Scott turned on the balls of his feet and kept right on walking until the echoes of their voiced totally faded away.  
  
***  
  
"Okay," Fallon said at length. "Marie, truth or dare?"  
  
"Truth," replied Marie.  
  
"On a scale from one to ten," she said. "Rate Bobby as a kisser."  
  
"Twelve," she answered quickly.  
  
"Pretty good for a gay guy," observed Katherine.  
  
And so the game continued. 


	13. Crimson Crush

Chapter Eleven  
  
Crimson Crush  
  
Meanwhile Scott had taken refuge in the garage and was employing himself with repairing Ruby's latest damage to his black Cadillac.  
  
Unknown to him, a young girl had slipped into the garage behind him and now observing his every action with utmost interest.  
  
While he was under the hood he decided to go ahead and change the oil, and, in so doing, he managed to smear grease down the front of his tight fitting white tee shirt. He pulled it off without thinking twice and went to set his tools down.  
  
"Hi Scott," called a voice from nowhere. After he had jumped and felt as though he were under attack, he deduced that it must have been Carmen.  
  
"Hi Carmen," he replied not turning from his work.  
  
"Scott catch me," she yelled.  
  
"No," he said.  
  
"Yes," she insisted.  
  
"I don't want to."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm busy." He continued whipping clean his chrome-plated ratchet.  
  
"Blow me up!"  
  
"I just don't go around blowing people up," he said.  
  
"Why not? I don't mind."  
  
"I do."  
  
"That's too bad," she sighed wrapping her arms around him.  
  
"Get off," he said. "Stop that."  
  
"Catch me!"  
  
"Carmen."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Let go of my butt."  
  
"Do I have to?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Umm. . . no."  
  
"Let go!"  
  
"Blow me up first!"  
  
"I'm not blowing you up!"  
  
"Then I'm not letting go."  
  
"Let go of my butt!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So you won't have detention this weekend."  
  
"I've already got detention. Besides, I *want* detention with you."  
  
"Professor Xavier's doing detention this time. Something about developing your powers."  
  
Just then Cameron walked into the garage. "Scott," she called softly. Okay, so it was usually Mr. Summers, but when you're watching a guy sweat in a muscle shirt with grease stains down the front, things like 'Mr. Summers' just don't seem right. She saw him screaming at nothing and decided to watch. She, however could only here Scott's end of the conversation.  
  
"Now," he demanded. "Release my ass at once!"  
  
"Only if you get me out of detention."  
  
"Fine! Anything," he yelled. "Off!"  
  
"Okay."  
  
Scott's hands suddenly flew to his crotch  
  
"Ow. Not better! Worse! That isn't very lady like."  
  
"Actually I think it is."  
  
"LET GO!"  
  
"Scott," Cameron interceded. "Is this a bad time?"  
  
"Oh no," he began with a forced smile. "Everything's just fine. Ow, don't go *there.*"  
  
"Well Fallon and I were going to take a walk after her session with Professor X. is over, do you want to come?"  
  
"No thanks," he answered. "I've got a lot of work to finish. You girls go on ahead. Stop, *stop.*"  
  
"Are you alright," Cameron asked.  
  
"Oh yea," he said. "Just peachy." Cameron shrugged and went to leave.  
  
"That's it," Scott said as soon as he knew she was gone. "I'm frying you." A beam of red light sent a streak of destruction across the garage. "Damn, that's the second time this week I'll have to fix that." That's when Carmen's small, sly voice chimed in.  
  
"Missed me."  
  
A/N: My friend's (A.k.a Carmen [yes this IS some version of a Mary Sue]) version of this scene was much longer and ended with a really bad Scott to Logan scene were Logan gives Scott love advice after Scott makes Carmen cry. My other friends and I ruled that out immediately, because the quote unquote, real, Logan/Wolverine, would just laugh at Scott saying something like: "It's kind of weird not feeling a hand on your ass all the time."  
  
By the way thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love seeing all the reviews, but I'd like to get some more people to read. So tell your friends. 


	14. The Archer and Her Bow and Arrow

Chapter Twelve  
  
The Archer and her Bow and Arrow  
  
"I can't do it," Fallon insisted. She sat in a comfortable lotus position on Professor Xavier's desk. "A week ago I could tell you everything that happened here almost five hundred years ago, now I can't even get a single premonition."  
  
"Fallon," Xavier explained. "It's no reason to get upset, really. You see, in a sense, you are like an archer, and your psychic powers are like a bow and arrow. You need to pull back, and regress, before taking a leap forward. As long as you don't strain, I'm sure by next week you'll be getting premonitions at will."  
  
"Oh shut up," she said. "You took that right out of my yoga book."  
  
"See, we're making progress already," he said encouragingly.  
  
The clock chimed twelve. "Time's up."  
  
Just then her body stiffened as she took a sharp breath. "Someone's coming," she said. Seconds later Scott burst in. Fallon mentally scratched her head; he wasn't whom she'd been expecting.  
  
"Hi, Mr. Summers," she said. "Bye Mr. Summers, Professor." With that she left and went to find Cameron.  
  
"Professor," Scott began. "I'm being stalked by a girl I can't see." Charles laughed. When was the last time he had heard someone say that?  
  
Fallon went to the room she shared with Cameron to drop off her books and then went to return a book she had borrowed from Peter, all the while she couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was coming, and that the world as she knew it was going for a little ride. Boy was she right. 


	15. Old Friends and New Flames

Chapter Fourteen:  
  
Old Friends and New Flames  
  
A little while later Bobby and Marie were in the middle of a heated thumb war.  
  
"You're so, going down," she teased as they laughed and wrenched each other's arms around. He looked at her with those eyes like warm ice. She looked back at him with eyes greener than Ireland on St. Patty's day. He moved closer to her, she leaned away.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you," she said. Little did they know they were being watched.  
  
Peter Rasputin sat at a table not to far away. He was drawling a picture of Bobby and Marie romantically inclined, almost kissing, but now Bobby's hair was sticking up and sparks radiated from his lips as if he had stuck his finger in a light socket.  
  
Peter laughed satisfied with the caricature and tapped the boy next to him on the shoulder as he slid the paper over. The boy laughed and smiled.  
  
They younger children had a habit of herding around Peter. They looked up to him, in more than one way. He was modestly good looking with dark hair and eyes. Tall, with a build to make any football coach weep tears of joy. He spoke with a strong Russian accent, but not so much that you couldn't understand him.  
  
It was then that Marie perked up. "Logan," she half yelled, half whispered, before she leapt up and headed out into the hall, Bobby hot on her heels. There her sight confirmed what the rest of her senses had already known. Logan was back.  
  
"Logan," she shouted rushing to him and throwing her arms around him.  
  
"Hey kid," he said as her grip loosened. That was when he noticed the boy beside her.  
  
"Logan this is Bobby," Marie began. The boy stuck out a hand. Logan took it and a chill began to spread up his arm.  
  
"They call me Iceman," he said. Logan shook his hand and flexed his fingers breaking the remaining ice crystals from his skin. "I'm her boyfriend."  
  
"Boyfriend," Logan repeated. "How do you-" Marie blushed; Bobby went a little pink as well.  
  
"We're working on that," he put in.  
  
"Well, I'll see you around Logan," Marie began as Bobby pulled her away she turned and continued waving until she was out of sight. "Bye, I'll see ya."  
  
"Look who's back," came a soft female voice. "Logan looked to the stair well to see Storm. " And just in time, we need a babysitter."  
  
"Babysitter," Logan repeated skeptically. That's when he noticed Jean.  
  
"Storm and I are going to Boston to track down the mutant who attacked the president, while Scott and Professor Xavier are going to find out what they can from Magneto."  
  
*Speak of the pretty boy,* Logan thought seeing Scott come down the stairs. He didn't pay Logan any mind at first, only went to Jean.  
  
"Be safe," he whispered kissing her cheek. Jean left with Storm as Scott, feet spread, and hands at his waist, Superman style, turned to Logan. Tense silence was all that was present as the adversaries glared at one another poison meeting poison. That's when a young girl came down the stairs.  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Summers," she called. Scott turned. "Have you seen Carmen?"  
  
"Don't even joke about that," he said as she finished the length of the stairs with a wry smile and turned to Logan.  
  
He noted her posture and appearance thoughtfully. Long copper hair and deep set Cal-Ripken-blue eyes, a milky complexion. Average body. No Ororo Munroe, and diffidently no Jean Grey, but not at all terrible looking. She didn't wear perfume, he liked that; it made it easier for him to identify her smell. Fresh green apples.  
  
She kept her body centered and her feet slightly squared and turned out, as if she expected someone to come and try to knock her off her feet. She wore a long. white lace skirt, a crocheted short sleeve sweater, and a welcoming smile as she spoke.  
  
"My name's Fallon, friends call me Blue Moon, you know, the whole code name thing," she said. "And you are?"  
  
"Wolverine," he said. "I mean Logan." She smiled.  
  
He was moderately good looking, sort of rugged and muscular. Not really caring what he looked like, spending so little time around humans. She liked that; he wasn't obsessed with his physical appearance. His shoulders, neck, and head were paramount to hers. He wore his black hair in a style that wouldn't fit any human, but it was apt to him. It kind of swooped back away from his face and his side burns came down to his jaw.  
  
Their eyes locked for an eternity. Like the pale-blue winter sky meeting the gray sea after a storm for the first time, while all hatred and evil was still purged from the world.  
  
"Nice to finally meet you," she said. "Logan. I suppose I'll be seeing you around."  
  
"I guess you will," Logan agreed.  
  
"Well then, I'll see you in class in half an hour," she said to Scott.  
  
"Same as always," Scott replied with a familiar smiled.  
  
With that the girl continued on with the same kind of grace that one believes only angels possess.  
  
Logan's hands were in his pockets as he touched something cold and metallic. He tossed Scott the keys to his bike.  
  
"Need's gas," he said. Scott caught the keys and without missing a beat, tossed them right back.  
  
"Then fill'er up," he said and walked on. Logan shrugged internally, and went to find Professor Xavier. 


	16. Cerebro Online

Chapter Fourteen  
  
Cerebro Online  
  
"Welcome professor," chorused Moira Mactaggert's voice.  
  
Professor Xavier entered the chamber, Logan right behind.  
  
"You know very well of my no smoking policy on school grounds," said the Professor. Logan had put the cigar out before entering the school and had lit up again coming downstairs. "Continue smoking that in here and you'll spend the rest of your days under the belief that you are a six year old girl."  
  
The statement was accompanied by an image of Logan in a frilly pink party dress with lots of lace, ribbons, and white stockings, complete with white paten leather shoes. They heard the *skint* of his claws being extended.  
  
"You could do that," Logan asked.  
  
"I'll have Jean braid your hair," said the Professor and tweaked the mental image to match.  
  
Logan heard the echoes of children's' laughter. He may have had healing powers, but they didn't. With a mental sigh he extinguished the cigar in his palm.  
  
"Should I be in here," he asked as Professor put on the headpiece of the machine. Logan couldn't help but wonder if using Cerebro so much was why the professor bald.  
  
*Better warn Jean,* he thought.  
  
"Just don't move," Charles replied, not totally oblivious to Logan's previous thoughts. Of course, Logan, by purely being Logan, couldn't follow one simple command and continued forward.  
  
Walls faded leaving the impression of a globe with the platform that he and Xavier stood on being the core. Thousands upon thousands of white lights specked the continents.  
  
"The white lights represent the humans," Xavier explained as the image started fading to scarlet.  
  
"Let me guess," said Logan. "The red ones are us."  
  
Xavier nodded.  
  
"The broken line represents the path of the mutant who attacked the president," he continued. "Ah, looks like he's finally settling down." 


	17. The Incredible Night Crawler

Chapter Fifteen  
  
The Incredible Night Crawler  
  
With a gust of wind the doors to the old church were blown wide open.  
  
Storm and Jean made their way down the center isle, though it was hardly necessary, most of the pews had been removed or wrecked.  
  
"Get out," demanded an echo of a voice, followed by a faint *bamf* of compressing air. "Get out." *Bamf*  
  
"He's a teleporter," Jean said to Storm.  
  
"Getting bored," Storm asked turning to Jean, who nodded. As Ororo turn back her eyes frosted over and a streak of light came down on a supporting beam nearly sending a human figure to the ground, if it hadn't been for Jean's telekinetic hold.  
  
"Got him," Ororo asked. Jean smiled turning the man in the air to face them.  
  
"He's not going anywhere," she said as they moved closer. "Are you?"  
  
"Please don't kill me," he pleaded in a strong German accent. "I didn't mean to harm any one."  
  
"Now who would have gotten that impression," asked Storm.  
  
Jean had the teleporter, who was of course named Kurt Wagner, lay down as she examined the bullet wound, explaining that if it wasn't properly cared for he might lose some of his dexterity.  
  
"I could see everything that was going on," he said. "But I couldn't stop myself. It was like a bad dream, and then there was only pain." He glanced to the crucifix, set not far away. "I wonder, if He is testing me."  
  
The choir loft where he slept was decorated with posters from the circus and all the pictures were of him.  
  
"In the Munich Circus," Kurt began. "I was known as the incredible Night Crawler."  
  
"Did you do these," Ororo asked indicating the delicate markings detailing his indigo colored flesh. He nodded and rolled onto his side.  
  
"What about this," Jean asked indicating a perfect circle shaped scar at the base of his neck 


	18. Introducing the Bad Guys

Chapter Sixteen  
Introducing the Bad Guys  
  
Scott pushed Professor Xavier's wheelchair past the plastic doors.  
  
"I'll take it from here," said Mitchell Lorelio. Scott was reluctant to let the burley man take over.  
  
"That's alright, Scott," the Professor assured him. Scott stepped back  
  
"Nice glassed," taunted the guard taking the handles of the plastic wheelchair. Meaning: 'I'd like to take them offa' ya' pretty boy.  
  
"Thanks," Scott returned. Meaning: 'You're welcome to try.'  
  
Lorelio pushed the chair to the metal detector. "You're clear," said the man at the controls and the continued down the bridge to the plastic chamber.  
  
Scott watched the monitor intently, ignoring the other guards until he saw Charles lurch forward in his chair.  
  
*Scott,* he called out.  
  
"What the *hell!*" He demanded. He spun and noticed the Asian woman coming at him. He hit her with a beam of red light that knocked her against the back wall.  
  
Next Lorelio came at him, but the slim built "pretty boy," was more than he had expected. He put up a good fight and was more than willing to take punishment. He found if he could keep is hands pinned down, he stood a better chance, but Scott eventually managed to slip a hand loose and another blast sent the guard across the room.  
  
As Scott turned he was faced with the Asian woman again. He had thought her out for the duration, but there she was, as if nothing had ever happened.  
  
She leapt at him and spun in the air, delivering a blow to his head that sent him to the floor unconscious. 


	19. Attack on the Mansion

Chapter Eighteen:  
  
Attack on the Mansion  
  
Logan sat up in the ruins of yet another bed. He swung his legs over the side and, making sure his claws were retracted, buried his head in his hands. What had he been dreaming of? A lot of toxic green-yellow and a feeling of suffocation was all he could recall.  
  
He decided to go down to the kitchen to distract himself from the puzzling nightmare. He reached the common room and found a young boy nibbling on a bowl of popcorn and watching TV.  
  
He would watch a channel for a while, get bored, and then he would blink and the channel would change.  
  
His name was Jones, Logan recalled from sitting in the infirmary with Jean that day looking over the children's files. If he was going to stay here he should be able to put names to faces and powers to names. He had a first name, but no one used it, not even him.  
  
"Can't sleep," said Jones with out looking to him.  
  
"How could you tell," Logan asked.  
  
"You're awake," he replied. Logan shrugged. You couldn't argue with that concrete logic.  
  
With that said he continued to the kitchen. There he found Bobby Drake finishing off a carton of half melted ice cream. He looked up at him warily.  
  
"So," Logan said. "Boyfriend?"  
  
"Well it's not what you may think it is," Bobby Defended. "It's just-It's not easy when you want to be closer to someone, but you can't."  
  
Just then a new smell became present. Fresh green apples. He turned and just as he had expected, Fallon Vassar stood there in a white mid-Drift tee shirt and Goofy boxers.  
  
She smiled. "Hey guys," she said. They waved none too actively as Logan went into the fridge. About five or six cartons of chocolate milk were stored there. In the next cooler unit was a bunch of fruit and health food, like left over watercress and cucumber sandwiches. Uck, gross!  
  
"Got any beer," he asked.  
  
"This is a school," Bobby said.  
  
"I'll take that as a 'no'," Logan said. Fallon had reached in the very back of a bottom cupboard and was now setting a six-pack of Molson Gold on the counter.  
  
Logan raised an eyebrow at her. "Good girl done bad," he said remembering jean referring to her as the co-founder of the Scott Summers Fan Club.  
  
"It's not mine, it's a friend's," she said.  
  
"Ruby," Bobby chorused.  
  
"I can't drink alcohol," Fallon continued. "It interferes with my anima."  
  
"You?" He turned to Bobby, Bobby shook his head and Fallon got a case of Dr. Pepper out of the cupboard. She gave a bottle to Bobby and put the rest back as Logan handed over the beer bottle.  
  
Bobby blew on the neck of each bottle and handed one of the frosted over containers to Fallon and the other to Logan.  
  
"Thanks," Logan said slumping down in the chair across from Bobby. "So, how long have you both been here?"  
  
"Month and a half," said Fallon.  
  
"And your parent's just sent you off to mutant school," he continued.  
  
"My parents didn't send me," she said. "I was having some family trouble, and I was going to head into the city to get away from it, and that's when Scott came to find me and brought me back here. He was really the first guy I knew I could trust. My father left, and my step-dad was a real creep, my boyfriend cheat on me, and my big brother was always a jerk to me."  
  
"What about you," Logan asked Bobby.  
  
"My parents think this is a prep school," he admitted.  
  
"Well I'm sure a lot of schools have their own campuses and dorms--"  
  
"Jets," asked Bobby. Fallon killed her drink and said good night to the gentlemen.  
  
"Well, about Rouge," Bobby changed the subject. "I'd like to be able to get closer to her, but-" Logan wasn't concentrating on what the boy was saying; he was looking at the green dot on his forehead. The boy hadn't noticed it yet. "What is it?"  
  
Bobby shrieked in horror as Logan's claws shot out and Logan spun around in time to cut a tranquillizer dart exactly in two and the two halves fell into the carton of melted ice cream.  
  
Bobby ducked under the counter as Logan's animal nature decided to take over.  
  
The man dressed all in black hadn't noticed how big Logan was, seeing him slumped down in the chair so low, he thought he was dealing with two students. After seeing the man's claws extend one wouldn't have been surprised if the man had dropped dead of fear right on the spot, but some how he managed to suppress his own scream of horror and struggled to get a hold on his knife with a shaking hand.  
  
Logan forced the man up against the refrigerator retracting one set of claws leaving the other for show. The man refused to stop struggling.  
  
Teresa Roarke was in the room she shared with Kitty Pryde when the government dudes burst in. Kitty sunk down through her bed and floor into the lower level, and continued running dodging darts by going through walls.  
  
Teresa was terrified. She screamed loud enough to break though the sound proof barrier in her room. Every one in the building had to cover their ears.  
  
Teresa was the personification of her code name, Siryn. She could scream at decibels above human comprehension with super sonic frequencies. At length she stopped to gather breath, but the man shot her with a tranquilizer dart.  
  
At that minute the door broke down with a thud. Peter Rasputin appeared in the doorway, and if you thought he was huge before, you didn't see anything. His frame grew larger and flesh transformed to organic steel, as shots were fired at him.  
  
Peter's code name was Colossus, need I say more.  
  
Once he was grated an opening, Peter plowed the armed men into the hall, and gently lifted Siryn into his arms and left the room stepping over the unconscious troopers.  
  
Children were running around outside in the hall in a panic. He remembered a passage that could get them outside, where they could head to a secret bunker.  
  
"???? ????," He directed the students. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. Opps, in all the excitement, he'd spoken Russian. "This way!"  
  
Unknown to himself Bobby was making the temperature of the room, and further than that, drop at frighteningly rapid pace, causing the fool proof heat seeking machinery in the helicopter above the mansion to go haywire. The enemy had no idea what was going on down there, and no idea how many mutants were in the building.  
  
One of Logan's hands was lost from the man's line of vision as he managed to grasp his knife. It was then that the man realized, up until that moment Logan was trying to take him alive. The hand he couldn't see. Skint. Then only darkness.  
  
Logan pulled his claws from the man's corpse and turned back to Bobby.  
  
"You okay," he asked. Bobby nodded smally from behind the table his eyes just barely visible. "Come on let's go."  
  
Fallon was running down one of the upper floors, a man in black a few feet behind, when she ran into some thing very, very hard.  
  
She looked up from her position on the floor to see a huge metal human figure.  
  
"Peter," she breathed in relief. He helped her too her feet as if she were some priceless artifact and had a metallic fist up in time to K.O. the guy who had been chasing her.  
  
He noticed the three bloodstains, spaced evenly apart, on her white shirt and panicked.  
  
"Fallon are you okay," he asked. "What happened?"  
  
"Logan killed someone," she said lifting her shirt to show him that her skin wasn't broken, but a little blood was dripping from her pores. "I'll be fine. It happens on good Friday too."  
  
Peter handed off Siryn and began ramming the wall where the passage should have been.  
  
"I'm scared," said a little boy named Jake Lechery. "Are we going to die?" Fallon lifted him and tried to comfort him, and herself to some extent.  
  
"We'll be fine," she said. "Trust me."  
  
Bobby and Logan were on their way down the hall when they encountered more guards. Logan put a hand out to stop Bobby from walking into their line of vision.  
  
"Stay here," he said and made his way down the hall.  
  
Bobby wasn't about to listen to that. He slipped into the elevator and made his way up to one of the higher floors.  
  
Students were running down the hall in their PJs.  
  
In all the chaos he managed to find his roommate John Allerdyce.  
  
"What's going on," he asked. "Where is everyone going?"  
  
"The hell if I know," said John. "Petey Pure Heart and Mrs. Jesus are trying to get some of the kids to the bunker up on the hill."  
  
"Where's Rouge," asked Bobby.  
  
"I don't know," said John. With that Bobby took off, with John close behind.  
  
As Peter and Fallon struggled to open the passage and keep the students calm Ruby, Carmen, Cameron, Katherine, and Opal showed up with a bunch of much younger students. Ruby was carrying an unconscious Amber Firestone.  
  
The false wall came loose and Peter opened the door of the passage.  
  
Amber was quickly handed off to Peter. What he would have done for the teleporter to have been conscious.  
  
"We've got five soldiers on the way," said Katherine. "Take the kids and go, we'll hold them off."  
  
"No way," said Peter. "They're using real ammunition now, no more darts, you'll be killed."  
  
"Go," Ruby yelled. "The kids need you in case you run into any trouble."  
  
"We'll see you at the bunker," said Cameron. "Or we won't." Peter nodded and took off through the tunnel with the kids.  
  
Ruby replaced the false wall to conceal the passage. Little did they know that the troops knew very little of the secret passages so any one who had made it into them were basically home free.  
  
"Well ladies," said Ruby. "It's been a great run." She stuck her hand in the center of the circle. "Let's do this."  
  
They all followed her example and jerked their hands up and then down before breaking down the hall to meet the enemy.  
  
Bobby, John, and Marie were on their way down the hall to the door when they were faced with five men dressed in black.  
  
At that moment Logan leapt down from the second floor taking down three of the troopers down, stabbing and slashing at the combatants.  
  
Bobby dropped into a crouch, not wanting to see Logan in action again. Marie couldn't look away; Logan was a part of her. She wanted to see what was happening to him. John couldn't get enough of it. He wanted a piece of the action for himself.  
  
Once Logan was well and finished, not a man was left standing. They continued down the hall to the passage Logan shut it and turned to face the rest of the guards. He paced to them claws extended.  
  
"You want to shoot me," he yelled. "SHOOT ME!"  
  
"Don't shoot him," a man's voice interceded. A man stepped out of the shadows. "Is that you Wolverine?"  
  
Logan's eyes questioned, but he waited.  
  
"Why you haven't changed a bit," the man continued. "I on the other hand, time has changed." With that he pulled off his spectacles.  
  
"You guys we've got to do something," Marie yelled.  
  
"Yea," said John. "Run like hell."  
  
"They're gonna kill him," she said.  
  
"He can take care of himself," said John.  
  
"Bobby," she pleaded.  
  
That's when Peter made his way out of the tunnel with the children. He hated the fact he couldn't wait for Fallon, Ruby, Cameron, and the others. He prayed they were alright as he pressed the children along.  
  
"Why this is the last place I'd expect yo see you, Wolverine. I was unaware that Xavier was taking in animals. Even animals as unique as yourself," the man continued. That's when the wall of ice began to form between them until it was too thick to see through.  
  
Logan ran his hands up and down it looking like a child separated from his parents. He turned to see Bobby, Marie, and John. Bobby had his hand pressed to the wall generating and sustaining the ice crystals.  
  
"I'll be fine," he assured them.  
  
"But we won't," replied Rouge. So he followed them thought the passage as the wall of ice was blown to bits.  
  
The passage let out in Scott's garage. They made for a blue Camero.  
  
"I'm driving," John said making for the front seat. Logan pushed him aside.  
  
"Maybe next time," Logan replied pushing the boy out of his way and climbing in the front seat. The two boys in the back, and Marie riding shotgun. Bobby leaned forward and stated the obvious.  
  
"This is Cyclops's car."  
  
"Oh yea," said Logan extending a single claw, shoving it into the ignition, and starting the car. They sped off into the darkness.  
  
"Who was that," Marie asked.  
  
'His name is Stryker," said Logan.  
  
"What did he want," asked Bobby.  
  
"I can't remember," Logan replied.  
  
"Where are we going," asked Marie.  
  
"Storm and Jean are in Boston," said Logan. "That's where we're going."  
  
"My parents live in Boston," said Bobby.  
  
"Good," Logan replied.  
  
Marie's hand went to the dog tags that hung around her neck.  
  
"These are yours," she said giving them to Logan.  
  
"Thanks," he said.  
  
She noticed the blood crusting his hands and got worried.  
  
"Don't worry," he said softly noticing her looks. "It's not mine."  
  
The man had called him Wolverine, as if he was some kind of animal, but he was wrong. His name was Logan, and he was human to the core.  
  
Stryker stood outside of Cerebro with some of the troops working on opening the door when one of the soldiers approached.  
  
"Many of the children escaped through tunnels that weren't on the plans," said Lyman. "But we managed to capture a few."  
  
"How many," asked Stryker.  
  
"Six," said Lyman.  
  
After a few moments John leaned up between the front seats.  
  
"I can't stand uncomfortable silence," he said and pressed a button on the dashboard.  
  
*Bye, bye, bye*  
  
A completely out of date song that no one had heard in a million years blasted on the radio and they all groaned and hurried to cover their ears. John pressed another button and the radio turned off and a cell phone like contraption popped out of the dashboard.  
  
"I don't think that's part of the stereo," said John. Logan removed the device from its holder.  
  
They drove on for several hours with out stopping. The children were tired and hungry, and in need of a rest stop, and being teenagers they had no problem voicing their complaints to Logan. They were all still in their pajamas/underwear, so stopping would raise *way* too many questions.  
  
It was a little before 5 A.M. when they reached Boston, and they made it to Bobby's house at first light. Bobby found the key under the mat and opened the front door. 


	20. NotSo Warm Welcome

Chapter Nineteen  
  
Not-so Warm Welcome  
  
Bobby opened the door.  
  
"Mom, Dad, Ronny," he called. No answer. "You can get in the shower and I'll find some clothes for you to change into." He said to Marie then turned to John. "Don't burn anything."  
  
As Bobby and Marie went upstairs John looked at the pictures hanging on the wall. Your average family, a mom, a dad, and two boys. They looked so happy and he loathed them.  
  
Marie got out of the shower and pulled back her hair. That's about when Bobby came in with some clothes for her.  
  
"These were my mom's," he said handing them to her. "From before I was born."  
  
"Groovy," she said with a smile.  
  
He turned around as she changed. The only problem was the shirt was short sleeved, but Bobby had found a solution to that.  
  
He handed her a pair of old opera gloves that only left a two-inch strip of skin showing on her upper arm.  
  
"These were my grandmother's," he said.  
  
"They're beautiful," she answered pulling them on. He leaned into her she leaned away.  
  
"You won't hurt me," he said and closed the space between them. The first kiss lasted only seconds and when they separated Marie blew a string of breath crystals.  
  
Their lips met again, this time more passionately. It wasn't long before Bobby couldn't find the strength to pull away, to scream in agony. Suddenly Marie realized the pain he must be going through and pulled away.  
  
He looked a little green and there were dark circles under his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said. He shook his head.  
  
"It's okay," he said.  
  
Mean while Logan was pillaging the fridge. He found a bottle of Jack Daniels and drained half the container in one continuous draught.  
  
He heard a soft sound from the table and shot his claws out threateningly. A house cat. The gray and white Persian cat licked the steel blades procured by his knuckles. Logan sighed. Animals were so easy, not like humans at all. They either liked you or they didn't, and if they didn't they would do one of two things, run away or attack.  
  
That's when the front door opened and the remaining three fourths of the Drake family entered the house.  
  
They all stared at him. The woman snatched up the cat.  
  
"Excuse me," said the man. "Who are you?" Logan didn't answer, but bought himself time by finishing off the beer.  
  
Bobby was on his way down the steps.  
  
"Mom, dad," he began. "This is Professor Logan." They looked really confused. "There's something you need to know." 


	21. What Happened to Six Special Girls

Chapter Twenty:  
  
What Happened to Six Special Girls  
  
Katherine woke with a blinding headache. She looked around in confusion. This certainly wasn't the school.  
  
That's when the alarm clock went off.  
  
"Turn it off," moaned a voice some where by her foot, Opal's voice.  
  
Ruby rolled over from the other side of the king sized bed and blinked.  
  
"Some one tell how the hell we all wound up in the same fucking bed," she demanded of her five friends.  
  
"Cameron and I got scared of the poster up in her room," replied Fallon as she sat up on her elbows.  
  
"Jafar," moaned Cameron from the foot of the bed. Ruby kicked her.  
  
"Ach! My boobs," she yelled. They all laughed. "Hey I might need them one day."  
  
"Opal," continued Ruby. "You had a whole goddam bed to yourself."  
  
"I got lonely," she admitted. Ruby kicked her.  
  
"My kidney," she yelled.  
  
"Ahh--You got another one," said Ruby.  
  
"I have to pee," Opal continued.  
  
"OUT!" Ruby demanded. "You just lost your community bed privileges."  
  
"Weren't you in two bedrooms last night," said Cameron's mother from the door.  
  
"Ugh," Ruby moaned.  
  
"Breakfast is ready," the woman continued.  
  
"Mom," Cameron said. "We spent the whole night fighting off evil government dudes and saving the lives of small children. I think we earned an extra couple hours of sleep."  
  
"I made bacon," she continued.  
  
Instantly six girls were up and racing down the stairs to the kitchen and began stuffing their faces with bacon.  
  
"Did you all see that Logan guy in action last night," Ruby asked. "Dude, he had these claw things coming out of his knuckles and all, it was so totally awesome."  
  
"I gave him some of that beer you stashed away," put in Fallon.  
  
"I almost missed Peter's knocking waking me up this morning," Cameron said not knowing that simple statement would send the very emotional Fallon into tears.  
  
"Great," said Ruby in annoyance. "Now Sarah Burnheart's crying."  
  
"Not nice, Ruby," said Cameron.  
  
"I miss Peter," Fallon moaned. "And Marie and Bobby and Ororo and Scott. . . and even John and Jean and the Professor and Kitty and Teresa and-"  
  
"The rest of the school as the condensed version," snapped Ruby  
  
"Shut it you fucking bitch I'm having a fucking breakdown here," Fallon screamed. "It's not my fucking fault my fucking empathy has been fucking off and I'm getting every fucking emotion from a fucking two hundred yard radius. Okay, so fucking shut it!" Fallon's hands flew to her mouth. "Where did that come from? And how many times did I just say the "f" word?" Everyone was a little creeped out by Fallon's spontaneous eruption. "I think that was John."  
  
They all burst out laughing as they set the empty dishes in the sink.  
  
"Let's go for a walk," suggested Cameron as they headed up to get dressed. So got dressed and were on their way. 


	22. Bobby's Confession, the Reunion, and Dan...

Chapter Twenty-One  
  
Bobby's Confession, the Reunion, and Dangerous Mutants  
  
"We still love you Bobby," Mrs. Drake was saying. "It's just this whole mutant. . . problem-"  
  
"What problem," Logan intercedes.  
  
"Is very disturbing," she finished.  
  
"We thought Bobby was going to a school for the gifted," said Mr. Drake.  
  
"Bobby is gifted," said Marie. "You should see what he can do." Mrs. Drake had her cup of tea raised to her mouth. Bobby reached over and touched the cup; Mrs. Drake's hands were shaking so much the frozen tea onto the saucer. She set the saucer down on the table. The cat jumped up on the table and began licking the frozen tea.  
  
Bobby's younger brother got up and stormed out of the room angrily.  
  
"Ronny," their mother called. "This is all my fault."  
  
"Actually," said John, who had his butt perched on an end table. "We've discovered it's the male who carries the mutant gene and passes it on. So it's really his fault." Everyone glared at him.  
  
Ronny stomped upstairs to his room. The sign on the door read: RONNY'S ROOM  
  
STAY THE F**K OUT  
  
His mother had demanded that he take the sign down, but wonderful, perfect Bobby had found the cutest panda stickers imaginable, I mean these things made Winnie the Pooh look hard core, and stuck them over the middle two letters. Once again Bobby got to play the hero, but at least he got to keep his sign.  
  
"What do you teach anyway, Professor Logan," asked Mr. Drake.  
  
"Art," replied Logan who stood in the doorway.  
  
That's when the doorbell rang.  
  
"I'll get it," offered Mr. Drake getting up.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Carmen, Cameron, Ruby, Fallon, Opal, and Katherine were walking down the street; they had gone about two blocks when Cameron noticed the blue Camero in a driveway.  
  
"Oh my God," she began. "That's Scott's car."  
  
"Oh my God, you're right," Fallon said.  
  
"No, I don't think so," said Opal.  
  
"Opal," Ruby said. "Look at the goddam license plate."  
  
"Oney," Opal read. "Oh, ONE I. I get it, one eye."  
  
Ruby smacked her fore head. "Hay Carumba."  
  
"This must be Bobby's house," said Cameron indicating the name on the mailbox. DRAKE.  
  
"I bet Logan and Marie are here too," said Katherine.  
  
"Come on," said Fallon. "Let's go see."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ororo, Jean, and Kurt were on the jet, on their way back to the school. They hadn't been getting any response from the com units.  
  
Ororo went back to talk with Kurt, who was praying.  
  
"What are they," she asked, indicating the delicate designs embellishing his indigo skin.  
  
"The angelic alphabet," he said. "Passed on to mankind by the arch angel Gabriel."  
  
"How many are there," she asked.  
  
"One for every sin," he said. "So quite a few. You know, outside of the circus, most people feared me, but I didn't hate them. I pitied them, because most people will never know beyond what they see with their own two eyes."  
  
"I gave up on pity a long time ago," said Ororo.  
  
"You are so bitter," said Kurt as he rubbed his finger up her cheek. "Someone so beautiful should not be filled with so much hate."  
  
*He's flirting with me,* Ororo thought. *He's flirting with me, and I like it.*  
  
"Storm," Ororo called. "I found an active com unit."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Cameron knocked on the door and waited. Moments later the door was opened by an older man with graying hair.  
  
"Yes," he said.  
  
"Hi, yes," Cameron began. "Is there a Bobby Drake here?"  
  
"Yes," the man said.  
  
"Oh good, we're friends of his from school," she said. "Did he happen to show up with a teacher, because we need to talk?"  
  
"Professor Logan," he questioned.  
  
The girls looked at one another. "Professor Logan," Ruby mouthed. "Logan," Fallon said.  
  
"Oh," said Cameron. "Logan. I really don't know him that well. I mean self defense really isn't my thing."  
  
"I thought he taught art," said Mr. Drake. Ruby, Cameron, and Fallon burst into laughter.  
  
"Oh yea," Cameron managed to say. "See how little I really know him. If you don't mind I'd really like to speak with him." The six girls forced them selves into the living room.  
  
"Marie," Fallon, Cameron, and Carmen said upon seeing their friend.  
  
"Oh my God," Marie yelled. "You're alright!"  
  
They went into the traditional pack of teenaged girls reuniting scream.  
  
"Oh brother," Said John and Ruby in unison. They looked at each other for a moment and Ruby laughed slightly before they both looked away.  
  
"Where's Logan," asked Fallon.  
  
"Out on the porch," said Marie.  
  
"How did you guys get here," Bobby asked.  
  
"I live two streets down," explained Cameron.  
  
That's about when Logan came back inside. He looked a little surprised to see six extra students in his care, but he continued with his original plan.  
  
"We need to go," he said. And led the way out of the door, claws extended.  
  
They were greeted with cop cars and drawn pistols.  
  
"Freeze," one of the officers demanded. "Put the knives down." Logan looked back and forth; all exits were blocked, before looking to his charges.  
  
"Put the knives down," the cop repeated.  
  
"I can't," Logan said raising his hands to show the man the blades were a part of him. The man fired a shot that hit Logan in the head. At that moment Fallon screamed clutching her head and fell down on her knees next to an unconscious Logan. Everyone was worried now. What was wrong with her?  
  
"Get on the ground," the policewoman demanded. Marie knew that because of Logan's metal skeleton and healing powers all the bullet would do was give him a serious headache. Fallon, being a psychic, had the endowment of empathy. She was getting sensations off of Logan and it wasn't pleasant being shot. Marie started to get down on her knees followed by Bobby and everyone else, but John, and in order to draw the attention away from Logan she began to yell:  
  
"Please don't hurt us."  
  
Pyro was still standing. These people had no right to push him around, especially when he could fight back.  
  
"Get down kid," said the police officer. "We don't want to hurt you."  
  
"You know all those dangerous mutants you hear about on TV," he began flicking out his lighter. "I'm the worst one." With that he sent a fireball off through both sides of the porch. From there he sent them off at the patrol cars.  
  
He was playing with them. Letting them get to the point where they thought they were almost out before trapping them in the flames once again. They called for back up, but they'd be long dead before it got there.  
  
Pyro never felt Marie's hand close around his ankle.  
  
Marie felt as though her insides had caught fire. It was a kind of rush she had never felt before. Everything became nothing more than fuel. Trees, a car, a person, burn it all.  
  
Pyro felt like hell. He felt he could no longer manipulate the fires, as Marie was able to call them back.  
  
Marie had been correct in thinking Logan would have a migraine. His head was murder as he pulled himself to his feet.  
  
That's when the jet landed and the mutants rushed to the loading bay. As Logan passed on of the officers he sat up and pointed his gun at Logan.  
  
Logan raised his hands as a sign of parley, meaning: *You want to fight, go ahead and see who comes out alive.*  
  
Bobby knew very well who had called the police as he looked up to his brother's window. Ronny stood with his parents as Bobby boarded the plane. He wondered if he would ever be able to go back home. 


	23. A Trip on the Blackbird

Chapter Twenty-Two  
  
A Trip on the Blackbird  
  
The jet took off as everyone took their seats.  
  
"Who are you," Marie asked the blue guy with the tail, rosary, and three fingers on each hand.  
  
"Kurt Wagner," he began. "But in the esteemed Munich circus-"  
  
"Save it," said Logan in annoyance buckling his seatbelt, as others went to do the same.  
  
"You okay darlin'," Logan asked remembering *her* being the one screaming after *he* got shot. She nodded pinching the area of skin between her thumb and pointer finger.  
  
"What're you doing that for," he asked nodding to her hands.  
  
"Acupressure," she explained. "Putting force here helps with headaches."  
  
He raised his eyebrows. "Seriously," he asked. She nodded taking his hands and rubbing his palms. "That feels good," he commented. After that she released his hands.  
  
The radio crackled and a voice came over the data lines.  
  
"Lower your altitude to 15,000 feet immediately and we will escort you to the air force base."  
  
"Somebody's angry," said Storm.  
  
"I repeat lower your altitude to 15,000 feet."  
  
Storm made no motion to lower the jet.  
  
"They're going to fire!" Screamed Cameron.  
  
Marie was trying franticly to buckle her seatbelt. She had been trying to console Bobby when they had gotten on the plane and now the plane was dropping into a downward corkscrew.  
  
"Just like a roller coaster," Fallon told herself as the plane turned upside-down. "I want my daddy!"  
  
"Don't we have any weapons on this thing," Logan yelled.  
  
"What kind of question is that," asked Ruby. "John's a friggin' torch, Bobby's a human ice machine, Jean moves stuff with her brain, Cameron's a stop watch, and Ororo controls one of the elements essential to safe air travel. . . yea we got weapons. Where have you been dude?"  
  
Storm had already summoned several baby cyclones, perfect for targeting the enemy jets.  
  
Three missiles were fired before their chasers were lost.  
  
Jean had to use all her telekinetic strength to redirected one of the missiles to hit the other. Her eyes glowed red in determination, but she missed the last juggernaut connected with the back of the Blackbird and tore it to shreds.  
  
Everyone saw Marie sucked out the back, but only one of them was ready to act instantly.  
  
Kurt teleported out of the plane, caught Marie, and teleported back into the plane in a blink of an eye. Not that it was much better in the plane, seeing as it was still crashing.  
  
Suddenly the descent slowed and the plane began to put itself back together. At length the plane stopped and everyone realized Magneto was behind the strange occurrence. 


	24. Making a Plan

Chapter Twenty-Three  
  
Making a Plan  
  
Logan, Jean, Ororo, Magneto, and Mystique sat around the fire. They had pitched tents and concealed the Blackbird. The kids and Kurt were gathered not far away.  
  
"What are they saying," Marie asked Kurt.  
  
"I can't really understand," he admitted. "But I could get loser." With a soft *bamf* of compressing air Kurt disappeared. The hard part was reappearing close enough to a branch to grab onto it with out reappearing impaled by it.  
  
"If Charles was forced to concentrate on a particular group," said Magneto. "Let's say mutants."  
  
"Oh my God," Storm began.  
  
"What," asked Logan.  
  
"He could kill us all," said Jean.  
  
"We aren't sure where Stryker is operating from, but someone here does," said Magneto.  
  
"The professor already tried reading my mind," said Logan. "He didn't find anything."  
  
"Once again," replied Magneto. "You think it's all about you." He glanced up at Night Crawler, hanging upside-down by his tail from a tree above.  
  
"Oh, hello," said Kurt with a small wave. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*  
  
"I didn't mean to snoop," Kurt said.  
  
"It's okay," Jean said. "Just try and relax." She laid her hands on his head.  
  
"They're at the Alkali Lake base," said Jean at length.  
  
"I've been there," said Logan. "There's nothing left."  
  
"There's nothing left on top," said Jean. "The base is under ground."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*  
  
Logan went to Jean who was working on the jet.  
  
"How are we doing," he asked.  
  
"It'll be another couple of hours before I can get it off the ground," she said.  
  
"That's not what I meant," he said, disappointed.  
  
"I'm worried about Scott," she admitted.  
  
Some how amidst the love and the pain his lips met hers.  
  
"Don't make me do this," she said.  
  
"Do what," he asked.  
  
'This," she repeated.  
  
"I just thought-"  
  
"Girls flirt with the bad guy," she said. "But we take the good guy home. Marry him."  
  
"I could be the good guy," Logan said with an interesting head jiggle that inclined the author to crack up in theater.  
  
***  
  
Mystique looked on with a pang of growing envy.  
  
"Zey say you can mimic any one," said Night Crawler from behind her. "Even zeir voice."  
  
"Even zeir voice," she repeated a perfect imitation of Kurt's German accented tone.  
  
"Why not stay in disguise all the time," he asked. "Be like, look like every one else?"  
  
"Because we shouldn't have to," she replied in her usual, hollow voice.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*  
  
Logan was half awake in his sleeping bag when he began smelling Anais Anais, her perfume.  
  
Jean entered the tent and knelt down. She straddled him as Logan worked his hand up her shirt. Presently he pulled open her blouse revealing three evenly spaced knife wounds below her left breast. Her skin was going blue again and hair getting shorter, before it was Mystique before him. He had know right from the off. There was more to Jean's smell then perfume and elements of Mystique that couldn't be hidden.  
  
"No one's ever left a scare quite like you," she said biting his ear hard and provocative.  
  
His claws were out and pressed to her throat.  
  
"What do you want," he demanded.  
  
She pushed his hand away with millimeters to spare.  
  
"I know what I want," she said beginning the transformation to Ororo. "But what do you want?" Her skin then got lighter and hair darker except for the silver sunk stripe in front. Rogue.  
  
He could play along, but it wouldn't be real.  
  
"I want you out," he demanded pushing her off.  
  
In another instant he was looking at William Stryker.  
  
"What do you really want," she asked.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*  
  
"Logan," a soft smooth voice whispered his name in the dark. That was the way a woman's voice should be, like the gentle caress of silk. "Logan, are you awake? It's Fallon."  
  
"Yea," Logan replied sitting up groggily in his sleeping bag. "Come on in."  
  
She pushed the tent flap open and entered in a half-crouch. She brought her sleeping bag and the pleasant smell of fresh green apples.  
  
Fallon? He mentally cocked an eyebrow. Not one of the Mystique sex toy settings, yet some how being with her made him feel good, enlivened.  
  
"What's on your mind darlin'," he asked.  
  
"I'm scared," she admitted looking around attentively. "John was making noises outside my tent. Can I stay in here with you for a while?"  
  
"What happened to Storm and Jean and all your other friends," he asked.  
  
"Rogue's with Bobby, Jean locked herself in the Blackbird, Ruby's helping John, Storm is talking to Kurt, and everyone else is asleep," she explained. "And I was saving Magneto and the blue lady as a last resort."  
  
"Wise choice," he said. "Come on sit down." She laid her sleeping bag down next to his and tucked herself into it.  
  
"Do you think we'll be able to help Professor Xavier, and Scott, and the other students," he asked.  
  
"I don't really know," he said. "But we'll do everything we can." She nodded slightly heartbroken.  
  
"I'm really worried about Scott," she admitted. "I really love him. He looks out for me."  
  
"Do you and one eye have some thing going on," he asked.  
  
"First of all his name is Scott, and his code name is Cyclops. No one goes around calling you a son of a bitch, or do they," she asked. He laughed glad that Scott hadn't the wit to have thought up that ironic statement. "And secondly, there is no 'thing' going on. We're just friends."  
  
Logan nodded understanding the feeling.  
  
"So," he asked. "What's it like being psychic?"  
  
"It's okay," she replied. "What's it like having claws?"  
  
"Not too bad I guess," he said.  
  
"Does it hurt when they come out," she asked.  
  
"Not so much here," he said tapping his knuckles. "But here." He pressed his index finger to his temple. "The fact that someone would experiment on me just because I'm a mutant with healing power.  
  
"I understand," she said. He nodded for her to go on. "My step dad always took me to the race trace and casinos. He even got me a fake ID to get me in so I could help him win money. Sometimes he had me drink so much I couldn't concentrate and I kept losing and he broke my arm once hitting me with a nightstick."  
  
"What about your real father," Logan asked.  
  
"He was always pretty cool to me," she began. "He let me hang out with his band and taught me to play the piano. He took me to gigs and asked me to sing songs with him. He even wrote a song just for me. After my mom found out I had the mutant gene they got in a fight, because my mother thought I belonged with her and my dad wanted custody of me too. My father and mother had a divorce and I wound up with my mother."  
  
"I guess now I know what you meant by family troubles," he said.  
  
"Hey come check out the moon with me," she asked. "I've never seen a sky like this, and I've seen a lot of skies."  
  
They sat just outside the tent looking up at the heavens.  
  
"How did you get the code name Blue Moon," Logan asked.  
  
"I was born October 31, 1988," she said. "At exactly midnight. It was a blue moon that night, and every one thought that made me pretty neat."  
  
"I think that's cool," he said.  
  
They talked for a few hours talking of life's little troubles and of the things they were so scared of and of and of what heaven looked like. She showed him how the moon's aura looked blue that night and they were both content until they found sleep out under the stars. 


	25. Alkali Lake Base

Chapter Twenty-Four  
  
Alkali Lake Base  
  
They were all on the Blackbird. Mystique and Magneto were sitting and talking. Rogue and Bobby stood nearby looking at the X-Men uniforms.  
  
"When do we get uniforms," Rogue asked.  
  
"They're on order," said Logan. "They should arrive in a few years."  
  
"Rogue," said Magneto. "We love what you've done with your hair." Rogue pulled off her glove and took a step forward, but Bobby held her back.  
  
"Don't let him get to you," said Fallon.  
  
"Yea," continued Katherine. "Don't let him have the satisfaction."  
  
"They say you're the bad guy," said John flicking his lighter.  
  
"Do they," Magneto asked.  
  
"Pretty dorky looking helmet," John said.  
  
"This 'dorky looking helmet'," said Magneto. "Is the only thing keeping out the real bad guys."  
  
John's lighter floated into Magneto's hand  
  
"What's your name," he asked.  
  
"John," the boy replied.  
  
"What's your real name," asked Magneto flicking the lighter open.  
  
"Pyro," he answered cradling the flame in his palm.  
  
"That's quite a talent you have there Pyro," said Magneto.  
  
"I can only manipulate the flame,' said John. 'I can't create it."  
  
"You are a god among insights," said Magneto handing John his lighter. "Don't let anyone tell you different."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jean, Storm, Wolverine, Magneto, and Mystique stood around a 3D hologram of the Alkali Lake Base.  
  
"If we try to enter the through the spillway," explained Jean. "They could flood it."  
  
"I'll go," said Logan. "I have a feeling he'll want me alive."  
  
"Whoever gets in," said Magneto. "Needs to be able to access the spillway controls. If you got in what do you intend to do, scratch it with your claws?"  
  
"I'll take my chances," said Logan.  
  
"But I won't," replied Magneto. 


	26. Cerebro Attack

Chapter Twenty-Six:  
  
Cerebro Attack  
  
Mystique was working fast hearing the men working to open the steel doors. She couldn't help but wish her mutation gave her an edge in physical combat. Like with Logan, when she had posed as him, she had been able to craft a pair of makeshift claws, but she couldn't use his healing powers, and that would be very useful right now.  
  
She could hear the sounds of combat outside before the steel doors were pulled off their pivots. Magneto and the X-Men stepped into the control room.  
  
"There's an open chamber on the opposite side of the complex," explained Mystique as she brought up the visual image.  
  
"Cerebro," said Jean.  
  
Storm looked at one of the screens.  
  
"The kids," she said in alarm. "Kurt come with me."  
  
"We're going to shut it down," said Magneto.  
  
"Not alone," said Jean and looked around. "Where's Logan."  
  
Logan had followed Stryker's smell to some kind of operating room. Cruel looking tools were set out on the tables. The tank in the center had three evenly spaced slashed in it. He slid his claws from their sleeves and set them in the gashes, a perfect fit.  
  
So this was where it all began, where Stryker had reduced him to an experimental lab rat. The thought of vengeance made his blood run hot as Stryker's distinct, unwashed smell drew closer, near enough to touch, but Logan waited. He turned and waited.  
  
Stryker stood with his pet woman, gazing at him tauntingly.  
  
"Adamantium is very tricky, because if you ever manage to produce its raw liquid form you have to keep it that way. Keep it hot, but of course, you already knew that. You know Wolverine," he said. "I used to think you were one of a kind, I was wrong." With that he left leaving Yuriko to do his dirty work.  
  
Logan popped his claws. Yuriko raised her hands, fingers spread as chrome nails elongated and sharpened into five, foot long daggers to each hand. Logan let his mouth hang open for a moment before:  
  
"Holy shit."  
  
She lunged at him, he went for her, she blocked, and he tried again. Her nails cut through his suite as if it was no more than paper.  
  
Making there way around the room, banging into stands, and trashing the room like two quarrelling children.  
  
At length Logan's claws and Yuriko's torso melded, with her electric blue eyes gazing into his. Cuts began to fade from her face. Dammit, she had a healing power, like his. She pulled his hand away from her body.  
  
She hit him fast and hard. Her curative factor as effective as his, except he was giving it less to do.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jean, Magneto, and Mystique were on their way to the other side of the complex. Jean had a foreboding feeling as they passed another hall. She shoved Magneto and Mystique forward and went into a surface dive as a beam of red light shot through the hall.  
  
"Keep going," she shouted to them and headed down the hall after Scott.  
  
He shot another beam at her; she deflected it with her teke powers and swept him into the air. He struggled to break her hold to more avail than the guards outside the control room. She sent him flying into a row of parked Humvees, hoping to knock him out.  
  
Scott came back even harder. He sent a blast at her. She held it off with a telekinetic shield. Fire burned in her emerald eyes.  
  
"Scott," she called him out of the darkness. "Scott!"  
  
With a last dying effort she forced him away and sent herself flying as well. Her leg hit a pipe, bone cracked, she fell with a shout of agony.  
  
Scott was up again. Rhythmic steps, so unlike him. Ten steps form her, three.  
  
"Scott, its me," she called. "It's Jeanie, fight it. Remember."  
  
She let him into every part of herself, holding back only the part that still thought only of Logan, that's the part she would use if left only the choice to kill.  
  
He dropped to his hands and knees crying, burying his face in her shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry, so sorry," he said. "I could see everything going on, but I couldn't stop myself." He cried and begged like a scared puppy expecting only beatings. That angered Jean. He was her love, and he was so much stronger than that.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Marie, Bobby, John, Fallon, Ruby, Cameron, Carmen, Opal, and Katherine were trying to get through a game of cards.  
  
"That's it," said John getting up. "I'm sick of this kids' table sh*t." He pulled on a jacket and made for the ramp.  
  
"I'm with John," said Ruby getting up.  
  
"We're supposed to stay here," said Bobby.  
  
John looked back at him. "Do you always do as you're told?"  
  
"Come on John," said Ruby looking back at him. "Are you coming or not?" John smiled inside himself and followed her out. Ruby, not remarkably beautiful, but perfect.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Logan forced Yuriko into the tub of chemicals and let the grate fall on top of her. He relaxed slightly not realizing she could cut through the iron grate. She sprung up, all five nails catching him in the back. He broke free with a howl of pain and grabbed a hold of a syringe connected with the tub of molten adamantium.  
  
With one last dying thought: *I'm sorry* he forced the nozzle into her stomach and switched it on. The container drained as hot metal tears leaked down her face. She fell back.  
  
As Logan continued to track Stryker down he wondered if he and Yuriko were very different. Had he gotten off easy? If he hadn't escaped, would that have been him? He touched his neck just to make sure he wasn't branded as Stryker's slave.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Scott helped Jean down the hall. Using her telekinetic powers she had crafted a splint for herself. Suddenly she shrieked in pain.  
  
"Jean," he asked. "Jean what's wrong?"  
  
"Those voices," she said covering her hears. "Can't you hear them." She moaned dropping to her knees. "Oh what am I saying, of course you can't."  
  
He could feel the force of his optic blasts building up behind his visor, until it could no longer hold them back. He curled up on the floor struggling to contain the beams.  
  
"Don't worry, Jean," he whispered. "I won't hurt you any more."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
John and Ruby didn't make it to the base before falling victim to Cerebro.  
  
John collapsed on the snow-covered ground, the ground beneath him turned to shush as he melted the snow for a five-foot radius as he writhed in pain. His faced blushed as his body reached unthinkable temperatures.  
  
Ruby wasn't far away. Her body had made the transformation to the liquid chemicals and she was starting to freeze. She couldn't take her human form anymore; she couldn't take any form any more. She couldn't move, it was so cold.  
  
Marie was hearing every person she had ever imprinted demanding that she let them take control.  
  
Bobby was quite literally turning into an iceman. Cameron glanced at him and found she could see through his skin to must have been a heart, lungs, and stomach. Could he deal with that, could his mutation handle that?  
  
She screamed in pain as five years of growing pains compressed themselves into thirty seconds. Her mutation was taking her through the stages of her life and back again as she grew older and younger.  
  
Carmen was flashing in and out of sight like a strobe light. Her arm would disappear, then a leg until she would blink out completely. Going on like this would cause a serious meltdown.  
  
Fallon was intercepting everyone's pain. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, but couldn't, it didn't matter. No one cared enough to help her, or anyone of them. There was no more love left in the world. They were all going to die.  
  
Opal felt as if half of her was staying on the ground and the other half was floating off into space, like she was being ripped in two. She would have been crying if she could have mustered enough breath to do so.  
  
Katherine had manifested scales and gills, she couldn't breathe and she couldn't move. She needed water, it was too dry, her pores were sucking in any moisture they could causing her to stick to the floor.  
  
With one hand Cameron felt around along the floor. She just wanted something to hold. She touched something cold, Bobby's hand. She closed her fingers around it; she didn't even mind the frost. He smiled ever so smally at her, as if to let her know, one way or the other they'd get through this together.  
  
Suddenly the sensation was over, just as quickly as it had come.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Opal pleaded.  
  
"We aren't leaving them behind!" Marie said.  
  
"How are we supposed to help them," Opal asked. "We're just kids! We can't even fly the jet!" At the latter statement Cameron cocked an eyebrow.  
  
She slid into the pilot's seat and began pressing buttons as though she knew what she was doing.  
  
"What *are* you doing," Opal demanded.  
  
"What does it look like," she asked. "I'm starting the jet."  
  
"And you know how to do this, how?" Asked Bobby.  
  
"Easy," she replied. "Cars aren't the only thing Scott an I talk about."  
  
"The X-Jet!" Carmen exclaimed.  
  
"Among other things," Cameron shrugged.  
  
"Dear God Cameron's flying the jet," Fallon stated in shock.  
  
"Just buckle up, Kay?" Cameron suggested. The seven teens complied as the jet lifted off the snow-covered ground.  
  
"That way, that way," Marie yelled pointing. "Come down over here."  
  
"What's up with that patch where all the show's melted," asked Cameron. Lowering the jet.  
  
"Look there they are. Ruby's with them, " Bobby shouted pointing out the window. They've got the other kids!" They latter was accompanied by whoops of triumph.  
  
Cameron lowered the ramp and the teens all rushed out to help. 


	27. No Greater Love

A/N: OMG, I am SO sorry. I originally had the last chapter perfect, but then my computer crashed courtesy of brother Ryan pulling the plug and it got erased and I didn't want to wait so long to post again, I'll redo it as soon as I get time. 3rd to last chapter (sniffs) it all went by so fast. Any one up for the sequel?  
  
Chapter Twenty-Seven:  
  
No Greater Love  
  
"Come on," Opal yelled. "Get on the jet."  
  
"What is that," Katherine asked pointing to a wall of deep blue on the horizon.  
  
"Alkali Lake," Logan replied. "All of it."  
  
"COOL!" She replied.  
  
"Cool," Opal mocked. "Tons and tons of water boring down on us as we speak is 'cool'? SOMEONE HAS A SICK SENCE OF HUMOR!"  
  
Fallon noticed Logan walking off with Artie in his arms. She waited watching the figures in the distance.  
  
"Don't you want to know. . . if *she's* still alive," Stryker asked. "Who do you want to save, me, or that creature in your arms?" Logan set Artie on his feet and pulled his dog tags off throwing them to the ground.  
  
"I'll take my chances with him," with that he lifted Artie back up and walked away. Artie looked back at Stryker and stuck a black, forked tongue out at him.  
  
Logan carried Artie over to the jet. Fallon was looking at him as though he had done something incredible. He gave her a questioning look.  
  
"Self sacrifice is an element of a real hero," she said. He glared at her.  
  
"Shut up and get on the plane," he ordered. She shrugged it off and smiled at him walking up the ramp.  
  
Storm and Cyclops were working the controls.  
  
"Scott, we need to get to Washington," said the Professor.  
  
"Thrusters are dead," said Storm.  
  
"Back ups," asked Cyclops.  
  
"Gone," she continued. "We've lost all energy. We need some kind of out side power source to recharge."  
  
Jean got up and hobbled down the ramp. She stood between the Blackbird and the oncoming mountain of water. She used her telekinetic powers to hold the water back and control the plane.  
  
"Powers back up," Storm began.  
  
"Put the ramp down!" Scott ordered.  
  
"I can't," Storm said as Jean was controlling the jet.  
  
"We're not leaving her," he continued.  
  
"Scott," Fallon called breathlessly. He turned, stared. "Scott, it's the only way." She pleaded, eyes closed, barely breathing, so soft, clutching a metal handle for support.  
  
"Jean listen to me," he begged. "Don't do this."  
  
"I'm going to find a way back from the ashes," she assured him as the plane began a slow assent. Scott paused, wondering if what he REALLY wanted to do was appropriate student-teacher correspondence, of course it was in a situation like this. Fallon was just the mediator.  
  
He closed the space between them not wanting to let go ever, one last kiss to top them all. Minutes later, after one arduous kiss Jean ebbed away and let Fallon wax. Fallon then promptly burst into tears as the jet soared away and waters crashed down.  
  
"She's gone," Logan breathed. Scott turned on him.  
  
"Don't say that," he yelled punching Logan's adamantium packed chest.  
  
"She's gone," he repeated as though he scarcely believed it himself. With that said and realized Scott sunk down into the co-pilot's seat and cried quietly. Carmen opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but Ruby gave her a poisonous glare.  
  
"Not now," she ordered.  
  
"The Lord is my shepherd," Kurt said comfortingly. "In him I shall not want."  
  
Logan looked at Fallon huddled on the floor, half dead. He knelt by her with a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You okay darlin'," he asked compassionately.  
  
Fallon wiped the tears away with a small nod and looked though Logan's frosty shield into the man that had learned how to love, and how to cry. In that moment, only for an instant, Logan, looking into deep-set, electric blue eyes, saw Yuriko the instant before he killed her, or did he?  
  
Maybe it was Jean's red hair and pearly white smile, or maybe it was Marie's beautiful round face. Suddenly Logan realized why he had liked Fallon so much. She was the embodiment of everything he had ever loved, but had a shining personality all her own.  
  
He suddenly felt silence wasn't enough. He wanted to tell her it would be okay but his Adam's apple didn't want to work so he smiled as the plane zoomed off toward Washington. 


	28. Let Freedom Ring

Chapter Twenty-Eight:  
  
Let Freedom Ring  
  
The President was getting ready to make his speech on live television.  
  
"Are you sure I should use the word 'annihilate'," he asked his communications writer reading the speech over one last time.  
  
"Yea, people will love it," he replied.  
  
"Kennedy never used the word annihilate," he mumbled childishly. "And he would have been reelected."  
  
"Kennedy was assassinated," the writer replied impudently.  
  
"I went to grade school," the president replied.  
  
"And we're live," the cameraman began. "In five-four-three-two-" A streak of lightning flashed across the darkening sky as the power went out.  
  
"What happened," asked the president. "Are we still on?"  
  
No one answered. No one even seemed to know what he had asked. Everyone and everything was completely still, it was almost as if they were frozen in time.  
  
With another stroke of lightening the room was momentarily brightened the room, reveling twelve strange forms in the room. He stood in anticipation looking them over.  
  
He was utterly surprised to see the blue skinned man who had attacked him waving a strange two-fingered wave from his seat on an end table by the fireplace.  
  
The man in the wheelchair was known as Charles Xavier, the most powerful mutant alive, funny he should show up, today of all days, the day he would have condemned all mutants to hell on earth.  
  
One, an African woman, had been referred to in Stryker's database as Ororo Munroe, codenamed Storm, she explained the unusual weather.  
  
The man next to her was Scott Summers, codename: Cyclops; his mutation forced him to hide behind that visor all the time.  
  
Then there was a girl who had been referred to by only a codename: Rogue.  
  
There was Bobby Drake, Ruby Marx, Carmen Turner, Cameron Elva, Fallon Vassar, Opal Jordan, and Katherine Rivers. All mutants, all students at the Xavier institute.  
  
Then there was the man standing back and to the left of the group, Logan, also called Wolverine, he was the group's backup. If a problem arose, he'd be the one to deal with it. Not that a problem would arise, because he made twelve, and the president was indisputably outnumbered.  
  
"Good afternoon, Mr. President," said Xavier. "Please, sit down."  
  
"I'd rather stand, actually," replied the president.  
  
"We've come in to discus the matters at hand," Xavier continued.  
  
"I don't respond well to threats," said the President.  
  
"I assure you this is no threat," said Xavier. The girl called Rogue stepped forward set a folder on his desk and fell back into ranks next to Cyclops. "These were taken from the private office of William Stryker."  
  
"I've never seen these before," said the president.  
  
"I know," answered Xavier.  
  
"How did you get these," asked the president.  
  
"Let's just say I know a little girl who can walk through walls."  
  
"Does Mr. Stryker know about this?"  
  
"Sadly, Mr. Stryker is no longer with us."  
  
"Sadly my ass," mumbled Logan.  
  
"What did you do to him," demanded the president.  
  
"William Stryker's death was the result of a tragic accident," said Xavier. "You see now is the time to relook our principles and save the world from more pain. The struggle has not been easy, there have been casualties on both sides, but they do not have to be in vain. The choice is yours, but remember, we'll be watching."  
  
With another flash of lightening they were gone. Motion returned and people were pointing at the teleprompter in a panic. With a deep breath he opened his mouth to tell the country exactly what he needed to say. 


	29. In the End

Chapter Twenty-Nine:  
  
In the End  
  
All of the students had reunited at the Xavier Institute, with the exception of Marie, Bobby, Cameron, Ruby, Fallon, Katherine, Opal, Carmen, Peter, and of course, John. The former, minus John, in light of recent events, had been offered the option of furthering their physical education in order to prepare for the responsibility of becoming X-Men at a sooner date in time. Of course they all accepted the opportunity eagerly.  
  
After countless hours in the briefing room the nine heroes met in the foyer.  
  
Fallon showed exceptional enthusiasm upon seeing Peter again, or at least one would think so seeing as she sprinted half way down the hall and jumped on him screaming.  
  
"Hey Fall," he said smiling despite the tears running down his face.  
  
"What's wrong," she asked thoughtfully.  
  
"Oh nothing," he said setting her down. "I just heard about Dr. Grey."  
  
"She was amazing," Fallon said. "She saved us all."  
  
"Well, I've gotta get to physics," he said. "Do you want me to walk you?"  
  
"No thanks," she said. "I don't think I'm going."  
  
"Why not," he asked.  
  
"Taking a mental health day," she said. "My empathy has been off lately."  
  
"Okay well, I'll see you later," he said walking away.  
  
"See ya," she called.  
  
Logan, Scott, and the Professor were holding a conference in Xavier's office when the students filed in for class as Scott and Logan made their exit.  
  
"Is everything alright, Professor," Jubilee asked. Charles turned from the window to look at her.  
  
"Yes," he said thoughtfully. "I think it will be."  
  
***  
  
"Hey," Logan called. Scott turned. "She *did* make a choice," Logan continued. "It was you." Scott swallowed hard and nodded in thanks.  
  
He continued down the hall and heard a Bruce Springstien song playing on Fallon's radio in the distance:  
  
Come on up for the rising  
  
Come on up, lay your hands in mine  
  
Come on up for the rising  
  
Come on up for the rising tonight. . .  
  
THE END  
  
A/N: I'm already working on the sequel and I was just wondering how many of you will read it. You can reply via review or e-mail. I was also going to add more romance in book two, and was wondering if there were any pairings you were interested in seeing. I was thinking Cameron/Bobby and Rogue/OC, for starters and Fallon/Scott for a little while, since (as all smart X-Men fans know) Jean's death is NONEXISTENT. I'm certainly bringing John back and I want to set Logan and Opal up with *Some one,* not sure who yet. (*Hem, hem, cough, wheeze, MEANA, LAURA!*)  
Can't wait to hear from you, Dark-Little-Fairy 


End file.
